Bonjour
by justaminuet
Summary: Takeru's grandfather invites him, and the other children to spend the summer in France. Hopefully, France will be able to recover after they leave. (chapter 5 and notes added. story complete!)
1. The Arrival

_Disclaimer:_ I own nothing. Not _Digimon_, or any of the characters that show entails. This is purely for fun, and I am making no profit. None of the characters in this story are of my own design. Only the concept is mine. 

_Author's Notes:_ There will be some French in here and there. Since I'm not even close to fluent, I'm not sure if I'm accurate with all translations. Be prepared. And forgive me for any errors I may make. This has to be the strangest idea I've ever had. I have too much Daisuke on the brain. Also, forgive me for the "accents" I gave Mr. Takaishi and Catherine. I just read _"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,"_ and Fleur Delacour is stuck in my head. Oy. 

*******   
**Bonjour**   
*******

**Chapter 1: The Arrival**

"Daisuke," Chibimon called from the bag sitting atop Daisuke's feet. "I'm hungry!" 

"Again?" Daisuke murmured, exasperated. With a grunt, he reached into his pocket and fished out a broken piece of pocky. "Here," he said, opening the bag more, and offering the snack to his partner, who happily swallowed it whole. "That's all I have left, though. Keep it down. It's not going to look good if people keep seeing me talk to my carry on." 

"But, Daisuke," Chibimon sniffled, "I'm still hungry!" 

"Sorry, buddy," Daisuke apologized, patting his friend's head, before covering him gently. Sighing, he sat back in his airplane seat, placed his head against the window, and did his best to close his eyes and rest. 

It wasn't easy, though. He'd never really left Japan before. Sure, there was that one trip to New York, but then he was too busy trying to save the world to really take in the sites. So, when Takeru had offered them a chance to spend the summer with him and his grandfather in France, Daisuke had jumped at the chance. Finally, something fun to do that wasn't "Saving the World" related. 

Naturally, the digimon had to come, too. However, it seemed that while everyone in the world had partners, digimon weren't going to be treated as equals right away. That included airlines considering them "pets," and therefore, saying they needed to be placed in cages, and put in the pet section of the cargo hold. That didn't mean some people weren't willing to bend the rules a little. Including the stewardess who insisted the otamamon on her shoulder was just a strange corsage. Still, Daisuke and the others weren't taking any chances. 

Next to him, Ken had his own carry on bag, holding Minomon, sitting securely in his lap. In the aisle seat, Miyako slept, her head resting on Ken's shoulder, as a sleeping Poromon lay in her arms. She had been the one to suggest having the digimon revert to their Baby forms, in order to pass them off as stuffed animals, as she was doing with Poromon. 

Miyako's round glasses were askew on her face, and slowly sliding down her nose. Gently, almost hesitantly, Ken reached over and pushed them back in place. Miyako sighed in her sleep, stirring just enough to cause her glasses to slip again. With a small smile, Ken once again adjusted Miyako's glasses for her. 

"You've been doing that for the past half hour," Daisuke muttered to his friend, with a sly grin. "Keep it up, and you'll wake her." 

Ken blushed, but didn't fix Miyako's glasses the next time they moved. Daisuke saw Ken's hand flex a few times, though. 

In the seats in front of them sat Iori, Hikari and Takeru, Upamon, Tailmon and Patamon hiding in their partner's bags. Well, maybe not Tailmon, Daisuke reflected. She had utterly refused to be shoved into such a cramped space, and had promptly disappeared after promising Hikari that she'd pop up again before the plane landed. Goodness knew where she had gone to. 

The three Chosen were fast asleep, Hikari in the middle, holding onto Iori, who must've slid onto her while sleeping. His head was now comfortably resting on Hikari's forearm. Takeru had managed to slip as far down into his seat as possible without falling out of it, his hat taking up residence on his face. Patamon's light snoring could be heard from the large bag he was in at Takeru's feet. 

Daisuke shuffled in his seat a little, annoyed over the fact that he found himself unable to fall asleep, as his friend's did. He turned to say something to Ken, but sighed in defeat upon finding Ken himself sleeping, his head leaning forward, indigo locks falling over. 

"How can they do that?" Daisuke murmured, shifting uncomfortably. "There's just no way to get comfy." 

He spent the rest of the flight with his forehead pressed against the window, gazing at the small points of light that shone through the clouds from the world below. By the time they finally got to Paris, Daisuke felt like his eyelids had weights attached to them. As the six chosen made their way over to retrieve their luggage, Daisuke stifled more than one yawn, rubbing his blurry eyes. 

"You feel okay, Daisuke-kun?" Hikari asked, while Tailmon, who had reappeared as promised, yanked Hikari's luggage off the belt as it passed. 

"I'm fine, Hikari-chan," he muttered, leaning against his suitcase. 

Hikari looked worriedly at him, then at Ken who stood next to him. 

"He didn't get much rest," the indigo haired boy whispered. 

"Well, not to worry, Daisuke," Takeru patted Daisuke's back, encouragingly. "When my grandpa picks us up, you'll have plenty of time catching up on sleep. 

"Good," Daisuke yawned again. Chibimon climbed out of his bag, and easily up his partner's shirt, perching himself on the boy's shoulder. Reflexively, Daisuke reached up to pat his friend's head, lightly. "Just a few hours. That's all I need." 

"Iori-kun," Miyako called, adjusting her one armed hold on Poromon, her other hand gripping one of her two suitcases, "do you have the travel guide? I can't find it." 

"Yes, Miyako-san," the green eyed boy waved the pamphlet. "I took it so you wouldn't lose it, remember?" 

"I don't lose things," she defended, while affectionately ruffling her best friend's hair. "I just temporarily misplace them." 

"Well," Takeru began, looking around, "does everyone have everything?" 

What followed was what amounted to minor, consecutive disasters; Hikari had forgotten her Japanese to French dictionary on the plane. Miyako had remembered she'd forgotten her favorite beret at home. Iori hadn't exchanged his yen to francs. And, naturally, all the digimon were starving. By the time Mr. Takaishi arrived to pick them up, all six children were in loud conversations with each other. 

"Takeru!" Mr. Takaishi shouted from a bit away, causing everyone to turn. The distinguished man, with his dirty blonde beard and twinkling blue eyes, waved to the group, a smile upon his face. 

Upon reaching them, he scooped up Takeru in a bear hug, kissing his grandson on both cheeks. Then, sans the hug, he repeated the process to the other five, surprised children. Though, he did seem to kiss both Hikari and Miyako a little longer than necessary, causing the two girls to blush. 

"`ow was your flight?" Mr. Takaishi asked, his Japanese thick with a French accent. 

"Fine, Grandpa," Takeru replied, sweatdropping slightly as his grandfather picked up Hikari and Miyako's suitcases with a smile and a wink. "We're just a little tired." 

"Not too tired to sing to your favorite grandpa?" Mr. Takaishi looked crestfallen. 

"Eh, well... " Takeru laughed, nervously. 

"You sing for your grandpa?" Daisuke snickered softly, not too tired to find it amusing. 

"It was just something he made me do when I was little," Takeru muttered, blushing in embarrassment. 

"Well, I suppose zat it could till later," Mr. Takaishi relented, adjusting the luggage he carried. He began to hustle them forward. "But, I expect to `ear a song from you before you leave, Takeru." 

"Yes, Grandpa," Takeru sighed. 

As the group walked out of the airport, they were greeted with the cool morning air, the rising sun meeting them brightly. They could practically feel the difference from home. The air smelled different, the sun seemed to cling to the stone buildings in a special way. The way people held each other so closely in public. The very energy of the place was tangible. 

"I love it already," Hikari smiled. 

"I wonder if we could see Notre Dame today," Miyako mused. "Or maybe the Seine." 

"We `av all summer, mademoiselles," Mr. Takaishi smiled charmingly. "We can go anywhere you wish. But, for now," he looked over at Daisuke's tired face, "`ow about I show you to your new `ome?" 

Almost reluctantly, Miyako nodded, and they were on their way. Daisuke was so exhausted, the instant he sat on the leather seat of Mr. Takaishi's corvette, he was out like a light. Not the most comfortable place to sleep, but it was better than the plane. _Anything_ was better than the plane. Chibimon had settled himself on his partner's lap, looking up at his sleeping face with sympathy. When they finally arrived at Mr. Takaishi's house, the five children quickly learned what the Baby digimon already knew; that the begoggled boy was a _very_ heavy sleeper. 

"Get up, Daisuke!" Miyako hollered, making the now-evolved Hawkmon sweatdrop, as she shook Daisuke viciously. 

"That's not going to work, Miyako-san," Hawkmon said, gently. 

"Well," she huffed, "what do you suggest?" 

"We've poked him, shook him, yelled at him... " Hikari counted off. 

"We haven't smacked him yet," Miyako commented, dryly. 

"Miyako-san," Ken shook his head, an amused smile on his face. 

"Well, I suppose I could carry `im in," Mr. Takaishi shrugged. "`E could use some more sleep." 

"Probably," Iori agreed. "Daisuke-san isn't very agreeable when he's tired." 

"Then, I'll take his bags, while you take him, Grandpa," Takeru said, reaching into the trunk of the car to pull out luggage. 

"Ah, bonjour!" 

"Huh?" Takeru blinked, pulling his head out of the trunk upon hearing the pretty, familiar voice. 

The gates of the large house opened, and a petite, blue eyed girl, with golden ringlets came bounding towards them gracefully, a Floramon at her heels. She waved jubilantly at the group, running over to Takeru first, kissing both his cheeks in greeting. 

"Bonjour, Takeh-roo!" she chirped, pronouncing his foreign name as best she could. 

"Catherine?" Takeru blinked, shocked. 

"I invited `er," Mr. Takaishi smiled. "I zought, since she is a Chosen, zat she could `elp show you around zis summer." 

"It is good to see you again, Takeh-roo," Catherine said carefully in Japanese, her accent making it sound strangely musical. 

"You, too, Catherine," Takeru smiled, blushing madly. 

Catherine then turned her attention to the others, beginning with Hikari, while Floramon proceeded to introduce herself to the Digimon. When everyone had met and greeted --including Hawkmon delighting Floramon with a gallant kiss to her hand-- Catherine sorted everyone out the best she could. 

"`Eekah-ree and Tailmon. Meeyah-koe and `Awkmon. Eeoh-ree and Armahdeemon. Ken and Wormmon," she grinned, obviously happy that there was at least one person's name she could pronounce without difficulty. 

"Right," Takeru nodded. He pointed to the sleeping figure in the car. "And that's Daisuke and Chibimon." 

"Die-skay and Chibeemon," Catherine said slowly, as if tasting the words. Then, she tilted her head, curiously. "Is `e all right?" 

"He's fine," Takeru assured her. "He's just jet-lagged. We can't wake him up." 

Tapping her chin a moment, Catherine walked over to the open car, peering in to get a good look at the sleeping Bearer of Courage and Friendship. She giggled at his expression, which was somewhere between innocent and goofy. Leaning forward, she blew gently in his ear. 

The reaction was almost instantaneous. Daisuke's dark brown eyes shot open, and he jerkingly sat up, nearly jolting Chibimon off his lap. 

"W-what?" he uttered, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. 

Beside him, Catherine giggled again, causing him to turn to her. He stared dumbly at her for a few seconds, as the girl crinkled her sky blue eyes, smiling at him. Pieces of exhaustion still clouded his senses, and he found himself just gaping, barely registering his friends laughing good-naturedly at him from outside the car. 

Finally, the last bits of sleep leaving him, he stuttered, "Who are you?" 

"Catherine," responded the blonde, cheerfully. Then, as if to make sure he was no longer sleepy, she reached in, kissing both his cheeks, causing him to blush furiously. "Bonjour, Die-skay!" 

"Um, er... " Daisuke's words stumbled a bit, not quite sure what was going on. 

His friends were out there, so that was good. This girl didn't look dangerous. Catherine... that was the French Chosen Takeru mentioned he and Taichi had helped. Ah, okay. That explained who she was. That still didn't explain the cheek kissing thing, but okay. 

Slowly, Daisuke gave a sheepish, one shoulder shrug. "Uh... Bonjour?" 

**Next Chapter: To See the Sights**


	2. To See the Sights

_Disclaimer:_ I own nothing. Not _Digimon_, or any of the characters that show entails. This is purely for fun, and I am making no profit. None of the characters in this story are of my own design. Only the concept is mine. 

_Author's Notes:_ There will be some French in here and there. Since I'm not even close to fluent, I'm not sure if I'm accurate with all translations. Be prepared. And forgive me for any errors I may make. Yes, Catherine _does_ pronounce "V-mon" correctly. There is no "v" sound in Japanese, therefore, how Catherine says it _is_ how it's said. 

Since FF.Net is no longer sending out Author Alerts, I decided to start a mailing list, so that I can alert people when my stories are updated. In fact, you can use the mailing list to inform people when your stories are updated, too. That way, nobody's out of the loop. _*g*_

_Warning:_ This is NOT going to be a Takehika. I repeat, there will be no Takehika in this fic. The main reason being, I'm not a Takehika fan; I like them as friends. That being said, there will be no Takeru romance, or Hikari romance. Their love lives will not be touched in this fic. Got it? Good. 

*******   
**Bonjour**   
*******

**Chapter 2: To See the Sights**

Settling in wound up being a greater task than any of the six Japanese children had expected, particularly when it came to the time zone change. No one enjoyed waking up and feeling refreshed, only to discover it was still dark out. Regardless, they were determined to enjoy the time they had. 

"Well, we should try to take in as many stops in a day as we can," stated Miyako, gazing down at the map on her bed. "Regardless of what Mr. Takaishi says, we only have a month." 

"So, where should we go first?" Hikari asked, peering over her Jogress Partner's shoulder. 

"Well, I was wondering if we could see the Seine today. I heard it was supposed to be gorgeous," Miyako informed her. 

"A boat ride would be kinda nice," Hikari agreed, smiling. She turned to her Partner. "What do you think?" 

Tailmon flicked her Holy Ringed tail in mild distaste. "Couldn't we go somewhere where there isn't water surrounding me?" 

"Oh, don't be like that," Hikari encouraged, picking her up to give her a hug. "It'll be fun! I'm sure there'll be plenty of fish markets around there. You can have genuine French fish," she giggled. 

"Well," relented Tailmon, reluctantly, "I guess it wouldn't kill me. Just this once." 

"Then, I guess it's settled," Miyako beamed. "We'll tell the guys we're going to the Seine today." 

"Do you think that's wise, Miyako-san?" Hawkmon asked from his perch on the balcony, where he'd taken an instant liking to the first day. 

Miyako blinked. "What do you mean?" 

"The boys will surely have their own plans," Hawkmon explained, walking into the room. "They may not agree with your own." 

"Oh, really?" Miyako's golden brown eyes narrowed, one thin eyebrow twitching dangerously. "We'll just see about _that._" 

Rightfully so, Hawkmon sweatdropped. 

*******

"The Seine?!" Daisuke proclaimed, obviously annoyed at the idea. "Why would we want to see some cruddy ol' river?" 

"It's not a 'cruddy ol' river,' you jerk!" Miyako shot back, her knuckles wrapping lightly but insistently on the dining room table. "It's steeped in French history. And it's beautiful. And _I_ want to see something beautiful!" 

"Then how about we place a paper bag over your head?" Daisuke suggested, hotly. "Then we'll both be happy." 

The only thing that saved Daisuke's eyes from being clawed out of their sockets was Ken being quick enough to pick Miyako up off her feet so she couldn't make a lunge at the shorter boy. As it was, she was struggling and threatening Daisuke's life at the top of her lungs, while Ken held firm, blushing hotly at both Miyako's rather vulgar words, and the fact that he was holding her for so long. 

Finally, after going through just about every insult she could think of, Miyako relaxed and settled herself by pouting. Relieved, Ken put her back on her feet. 

"So, where do you want to go?" Miyako huffed. 

"Well," Takeru coughed, uncomfortably, "we thought it might be nice going to the Bastille." 

This time, both girls objected. 

"The Bastille?" Miyako cried. "You want to go to a prison?" 

"Oh, Takeru-kun," Hikari shook her head. "I don't know... The very thought of that place gives me a bad feeling. I've heard awful stories!" 

"Uh, well, we know that, Hikari-chan," Takeru rubbed the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "But it's steeped in French history, too! It'll be... educational." 

"They just want to see the torture chambers," Tailmon accused under her breath. 

All four boys and their Partners sweatdropped. 

"Actually, prisoners at the Bastille were usually treated pretty decently," Ken informed, trying to get the girls to give in. "All the horror stories aren't really true. And there isn't a torture chamber. I don't think," he added. 

The girls still frowned, obviously not wanting anything to do with a prison. Being wary to not rile the troops up again, Hawkmon cleared his throat, and sufficiently got everyone's attention. 

"It seems to be there's an easy solution to this," he said. "We can simply go to both. We do have the entire day, after all. We'll just go to the nearest one first." 

"Well," Miyako nodded, "that seems all right." 

"Works for me," Daisuke shrugged. 

"Well, that's good," Ken said, relieved no one was about to throw punches again. He turned to Takeru. "So, we're do we go first?" 

When Takeru noticed everyone was suddenly focusing on him, he put his hands up. "Actually," the blonde scratched his head, sheepishly, "I'm not sure. I really don't know France that well." 

"Then we're just going to have to find your Grandfather," said Hikari. 

"Um, if you can find him," Takeru gulped. "He usually is a morning person. Does all his errands as early as possible so he can ride around the rest of the day. He might not be here." 

"How can we see anything then?" Miyako demanded with a justified pout. 

As if she heard the question, Catherine walked into the room, Floramon beside her. "Bonjour!" she greeted, sweetly. "M. Takaishi wanted me to show you any sights you wished to see today. O... kay?" Her smile faded and morphed into a curious little "o," blue eyes widening slightly as they focused on V-mon. "C'est qui, cette type?" 

"Um... " Daisuke blinked, not understanding what she said, but clearly understanding what she meant. "This is V-mon. You met him as Chibimon yesterday." 

"Oh!" Catherine exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Bwee-mon." 

"Hmm," Floramon looked appreciatively at the now-evolved Child digimon, before placing out her hand to him, expectantly. "Enchanté de faire la connaissance de vous." 

"Huh?" V-mon stared at her hand, confused. Finally, he grabbed hold of it and shook it enthusiastically. "Nice to meet ya." 

"Quoi?" Floramon took her hand back, looking at V-mon like he had grown an extra head. 

"What?" V-mon blinked red eyes. "Uh, did I do something wrong?" 

Catherine giggled. "It's okay. So," she looked up at her fellow Chosen, "where are we going today?" 

"The Seine and the Bastille," said Takeru. 

Catherine's delicate eyebrows raised so much they were hidden by her bangs. "Zee... Zee Bastille?" 

*******

"So, zis," Catherine said, gesturing in front of her, "is zee Bastille!" 

"It... It is?" Daisuke twitched. "Where's the rest of it?" 

It would seem like a ridiculous question to ask about a famous fortress... Except that the fortress wasn't exactly... fortress-like anymore. As a matter of fact, the Chosen and the Partners stood on the grass of Square Galli, in front of a very pretty flower bed that had, dead center, a circle of stones. On this tiny tower of squared rocks, was a gray plaque glinting dully in the morning sun. 

"Ah, zis is what's left of zee Bastille," Catherine explained, smiling as best she could at their shocked faces. "On zee fourteenth of July, 1789, French citizens stormed zee chastel Saint Antoine, freeing zee last seven prisoners, and killing zee Marquis de Launey, `oo was in charge, as well as `is guards." 

"There... There were only seven prisoners left?" Takeru twitched along with Daisuke. "That's it?" 

"Oui," Catherine nodded, sweetly. "Most of zee prisoners were let go before zen, and zee ones `oo were still zere were actually allowed to take care of zemselves. Zere was one prisoner `oo begged for zee revolutionists to free `im, zough," she added, and all the boys perked up. "Zey did free `im, and even carried `im zoo zee streets." 

"Really?" Iori asked, while Miyako rolled her eyes at his enthusiasm. 

"`Owever," Catherine sighed, "zee man was insane, and zought `e was Julius Caesar, and `is followers `ad come to rescue `im." 

The boys nearly fell over, while Miyako, Hikari, Tailmon and Hawkmon did their best to not look too embarrassed by being in their company. 

"Most of zee Bastille was destroyed soon after zee storming of zee prison," Catherine continued, cheerfully. "Zee stones you see `ere are what is left of it. In fact, zis isn't zee original place of zee Bastille. Zat is a few `undred meters away." 

"I don't believe it," Takeru moaned. 

"What a let down," Daisuke agreed. 

Ken, meanwhile, studied the plaque, Wormmon by his feet. 

"What does it say, Ken-chan?" the small digimon asked. 

"I'm not sure," Ken admitted. "I'm afraid my oral French is better than my written." He turned to Catherine. "Can you read the plaque for me?" 

"Sure," she chirped. Without even looking, she quoted, "`Remains Of Zee Foundations / Of Zee Bastille / _Zee Liberty Tower_ / Discovered In 1899 / And Transported To Zis Location.'" When the group all stared at her, she blushed. "Well, I _am_ French!   
"So," she shook her hands, as if to brush the whole thing aside, "zee Seine is next, oui?" 

"Yes!" both Hikari and Miyako declared. 

"Ah, good," Catherine smiled. "Zee Seine is so beautiful zis time of year!" 

"Told ya," Miyako muttered. 

*******

"What do you mean the boats don't allow digimon?" Daisuke demanded, angrily. 

"I'm sorry, Die-skay," Catherine apologized, as the boat driver behind her looked annoyed and perplexed by the strange sound of the Japanese language. "Zey will not allow zee digimon on zis boat. Zey `af to use zee boat over zere," she pointed a little bit away, to a boat docked next to the tour boat. 

Obviously, it used to be a running tour boat for humans itself, painted white with blue and gold trim like it's younger counterpart. However, the model was older, and the paint was slightly chipping in places. 

"That's ridiculous!" Daisuke yelled. "It looks like it's about to fall apart!" 

"I demand to see my lawyer!" pouted V-mon. 

"Come on, Daisuke-kun," Hikari said, hushedly, embarrassed at the crowd the loud boy was creating. "It's not _that_ bad. And, it is better than back home. They won't let digimon on any of the tours at all!" 

"Hmph!" Daisuke grunted, crossing his arms. 

"Hmph!" V-mon repeated, mimicking his Partner in an act of solidarity. 

"Oh, for the love of... " Miyako shook her head at the Chosen and his digimon, both standing firm, arms crossed and pouting. 

The flower digimon at Catherine's side looked at the pair, and began to giggle, delighted. "Mignon, mignon!" she cooed, fluttering her eyes at V-mon. 

For blatant reasons, V-mon looked befuddled at her. 

Floramon pulled on Catherine's skirt, pointing at V-mon with her other hand. "Il est mignon," she declared with a laugh. 

Catherine looked at the confused dragon digimon, then at his just as confused partner, who was scratching his cherry brown hair, nervously. "Son Partenaire n'est pas mauvais aussi, non plus," the blonde giggled. 

"Eh?" V-mon muttered. 

"Eh?" Daisuke repeated, one eye twitching. 

Both the French girl and her Partner erupted into a fit of giggles. 

Both the Japanese boy and his Partner sweatdropped. 

Ken, who had a relative understanding of what the blonde and her digimon had said, chuckled. "We might as well just take the two different boats," he said. "We'll all arrive at the same place, anyway. And it might be nice for the digimon to meet other digimon, instead of being with us the whole trip," he patted Wormmon's head, affectionately. 

"Ah, I guess," Daisuke sighed, defeated. 

"Oh," V-mon whined a bit, kicking dirt. 

"Well, let's go!" Miyako smiled, excited to finally be on her way to seeing the Seine. She turned to her Partner. "Now, you be good." 

"Funny," the bird murmured, blue eyes darting between his Chosen and Ken. "I was going to tell you the same thing." 

Miyako blushed. 

"Zee seats in zee boats only `ave room for two," Catherine translated what the boat driver was telling her, now that they were finally making their way on. 

"Oh, Bwee-mon!" Floramon giggled, grabbing the blue digimon by his arm, and nearly dragging the stuttering guy to their boat, before promptly sitting them both in a seat together. The flower digimon continued to giggle, as the dragon digimon simply looked at her, clueless. 

"I guess we should partner up," Miyako said, slowly edging towards Ken, trying to be inconspicuous. 

Then, Hikari inadvertently burst her bubble. "But we have an odd number. One of us will have to be alone." 

"Well, I'll sit alone," Ken volunteered, innocently. "I don't mind." 

"What?" Miyako's hand thrust underneath her trembling chin. "B-but, Ken-kun... " 

He turned to her, and smiled. "It's okay, Miyako-san. Really, I don't mind." 

"But, b-but... " 

"Die-skay, you can sit wiz me," Catherine offered, tapping the seat next to her. 

"Um, okay," he shrugged, not understanding quite why she giggled when he looked at her. 

"Here, Iori," Hikari said, allowing him to get the seat next to the boat's edge. "It's a better view. And," she opened her digital camera, "I'll get the best shots of you to take home!" 

Iori smiled. "Thanks. I'm sure my mom and grandpa will love that." 

Meanwhile, Miyako was still muttering, knowing she had already lost the battle. "B-but I thought we... I... It's just... " 

"Let it go, Miyako-san," Takeru sat her down, so he had the aisle seat. "I'm not Ken, but I'll keep you company," he smiled, warmly. 

Slowly, she turned to him with deadpan expression. "Takeru, there are certain times when certain things should not be said. You just said one of those certain things at one of those certain times." 

Takeru sweatdropped. 

**Next Chapter: One Way, or Another**


	3. One Way, or Another

_Disclaimer:_ I own nothing. Not _Digimon_, or any of the characters that show entails. This is purely for fun, and I am making no profit. None of the characters in this story are of my own design. Only the concept is mine. 

_Author's Notes:_ There will be some French in here and there. Since I'm not even close to fluent, I'm not sure if I'm accurate with all translations. Be prepared. And forgive me for any errors I may make. 

Let it be known that what I say about Leonardo is the _truth._ I've had one too many art history classes for me not to know this as a fact. 

Since FF.Net is no longer sending out Author Alerts, I decided to start a mailing list, so that I can alert people when my stories are updated. In fact, you can use the mailing list to inform people when your stories are updated, too. That way, nobody's out of the loop. _*g*_

*******   
**Bonjour**   
*******

**Chapter 3: One Way, or Another**

A week into the trip, the Japanese Chosen, sans their Partners, who were forced to stay outside, gazed around in awe at the decorated walls of the Louvre. 

"It's huge," Takeru whispered. 

"It's gorgeous!" Miyako added, hands clasped underneath her chin in delight. 

In front of them, the blonde, French Chosen christened Catherine smiled with not a little bit of pride. "Merci. Zee Louvre was originally a fortress. Zen, it was zee palace, until zee revolution. Afterwards, zee public decided to make it a museum. Zis part of the Louvre," she waved above them, to the huge glass pyramid where they'd entered, "was added on in zee nineteen eighties, to make it easier for people to find zeir way." 

Glancing above, Daisuke felt a twinge of guilt. Hovering over the glass pyramid were Hawkmon and Patamon, the only fliers in the group, while Tailmon, far more graceful than the others, had perched herself on the metal rods that held the glass pieces together. The three of them weren't the only ones there, though; quite a few flying digimon surrounded the pyramid, looking forlornly down at their human Partners. 

"How long until you think digimon will be allowed to enter?" Daisuke asked. 

"I don't know," Catherine sighed, obviously sharing his sentiment over the issue. "Some people are stubborn." She turned away, her blue eyes brightening slightly. "Ah! We should `urry. Zee tour is starting." 

*******

"I can't see them anymore!" Patamon mournfully declared from outside. 

"They must be on their way, then," Hawkmon sighed, settling himself back on the ground. 

"Well, this sucks!" V-mon bemoaned, crossing his arms, and slumping to the cold, marble walkway. Beside him, Floramon cooed, sympathetically. 

Tailmon stayed on the pyramid, figuring it the best place to keep away from the hidden fountains in the ground, that erupted rudely in timed intervals. She bristled, her fur rising slightly. "I agree. I'm perfectly cultured enough to go looking at some chipped stone and colored paper." 

"Actually," Hawkmon, never one to hold back on a lecture, placed his feathered arms together, "the statues and paintings in the Louvre are all considered invaluable pieces of art. Not exactly child's-" 

"I know!" Tailmon interrupted, rolling her eyes. "I was being sarcastic." 

Hawkmon blinked. "Oh. Right, I'll remember that. Miyako-san's so blunt about everything, I'd forgotten what sarcasm sounded like." 

"If Iori and the others are going to be in there for awhile," Armadimon yawned, settling himself in, "I'm going to take a small nap. Wake me up when they come out." 

"I don't wanna wait," V-mon stated, his frown deepening. 

"We could always take a walk around the museum," Wormmon suggested, trying to cheer his friend up. 

"Yeah," Tailmon snorted. "So not only will you be bored, but you'll be lost, too. We don't know this place, and we don't have a tour guide!" 

V-mon stared at the ground, sighing in defeat. He didn't quite understand all this. He and the other digimon had helped save the world, after all! He and Wormmon, specifically, had actually destroyed the threat themselves. And yet, they were forced to stay outside of places as if they were nothing more than pets. It didn't seem quite fair to him, in all honesty. 

Floramon patted his hand, as if knowing what he was thinking. 

"I just want to see the place," he muttered. "It's not fair that digimon can't go in with their Partners!" 

"Vous voulez voir votre Partenaire?" Floramon asked, trying to figure out what the blue dragon had said. 

"Um... " V-mon decided to nod at her question. 

"Je veux voir Catherine," she sighed. 

All the Japanese digimon understood the sad sigh of their French counterpart, and agreed with sighs of their own. 

"Je veux voir Catherine!" Floramon loudly declared, almost whining. 

"Je veux voir Yvette!" a Candmon shouted back. 

"Je veux voir Luc!" cried a Gazimon. 

"Je veux voir Armand!" sniffled a Chuumon. 

"Je veux voir Flavie!" balled a glowing Lucemon. 

Soon, the entire outside of the Louvre was filled with the sounds digimon declaring how much they missed their Partners. Even the Japanese digimon joined in, V-mon, not surprisingly, being the loudest. Every so often, Tailmon would actually make a complaint about not being with Hikari. 

After _"The_ Incident," it still wasn't clear what started it. It might have been the loud Shamamon who was at fault. Or perhaps the howling Mushmon was to blame. It could've even been V-mon, though he stoutly denied it to Daisuke later on. 

Whomever was the cause of _"The_ Incident," was never caught. However, it never really mattered who started it; it just mattered that it did start. 

And what started was, in fact, a stampede of crying, upset digimon, storming their way into the unsuspecting Louvre. A few digimon fortunately --both for themselves and the museum workers-- found their shocked Partners quickly. The others, though, kept running, shouting inaudibly for their human friends, frightening and startling the patrons and employees around the Louvre. 

Through the whole mess, the Japanese digimon managed to stay together, V-mon holding tightly to Floramon's arm so she wouldn't get lost in the chaos. 

"Miyako-san's not going to like this," Hawkmon fretted, already imagining his emotional Partner's rage. 

Armadimon was pretty sure Iori was going to be embarrassed at least, disappointed at most. However, too late for that, wasn't it? "Might as well find them," he shouted over the mob's yelling. 

"Agreed," Hawkmon said, taking flight for a better view. 

*******

"I never thought I'd say this," Iori commented, almost guiltily, "but the _Mona Lisa_ looks rather... dull in first person." 

The other Chosen around him nodded, with slight disappointment. The famous painting was encased in thick glass, and warded off by red, velvet ropes. It gave it a majestic feel, however, the painting itself was almost lackluster compared to its reputation. 

"It's really zee smile zat makes zee _Mona Lisa_ as famous as it is," Catherine said. "Zat, and `oo zee woman `oo posed for zee painting is. Is she smiling, or not? And if zat's an ancient baroness, or one of Leonardo's lovers in disguise?" 

"Disguise?" Hikari repeated. 

"Oui," Catherine nodded. "To be zee _Mona Lisa,_ `e would `ave to be in disguise. " 

"He?" Daisuke parroted, blinking a few times. 

"`E," Catherine confirmed. "Many of Leonardo's sketches, and some of `is paintings of females were actually `is male lovers," she explained, as if surprised they didn't already know. 

The Japanese children stayed silent, all taking the information in differently. Until finally, Takeru said, as articulately as he could at the time, "Oh. Okay." 

The uncomfortable moment was abruptly demolished in a haze of screaming digimon, and frantic Louvre employees, as the great, colorful mob of them turned the corner and made their way towards the hapless group of young adults. Takeru, Hikari, and Iori flung themselves against the wall instinctively. Meanwhile Daisuke and Catherine, both of whom were in front of the blocked off painting, slid under the protective ropes. Unfortunately, that caused the alarms to go off, adding to the noise. 

Above all that, Miyako Inoue still managed to be heard. "Hawkmon!" she hollered, upon spotting her flying digimon. "What do you think you're doing?!" 

If the bird answered back, his reply was lost among the insanity of the crowded hall. Though, his face did show a great deal of panic, but Miyako assumed it was because he was afraid of what she'd do to him when the whole thing was over. And he should've been. 

"Miyako-san!" Ken grabbed her by the waist, pressing her against the wall with him. "Get out of the way, or you'll be run over!" 

The stampede practically flew by them, leaving in its destructive wake a ripped up floor, and seven digimon. A couple digimon just seemed to be happy to see their Partners again, while the rest looked rather sheepish. 

Crawling out from underneath the ropes, Catherine looked at her digimon, startled. "Floramon, pourquoi êtes-vous ici?" 

"Je regrette, Catherine!" Floramon said, looking at the ground, a slight embarrassed blush across her face. 

Daisuke also got out from under the squared off section of hall, wincing at the alarm that was still blaring. With a frown, he raised an accusing brow at his digimon. "V-mon... " 

"Um... " The blue dragon stared blankly for a moment, before lamely trying, "I... thought it was a game of _'Follow the Leader?'_" 

"It just sort of happened," Tailmon tried to explain, doing her best not to look Hikari in the eye. "We just got swept away in all the chaos." 

"Well," Ken sighed, picking Wormmon up, "there's nothing we can do about it right now." 

"Do you think the guards will be coming by here soon?" Takeru mused, Patamon settling on his head, and thankfully dulling the sound of the shrill bell. 

"Probably," Ken nodded. "We should go, unless we want to be stuck here for the rest of the day." 

With a collective sigh, digimon and their Partners walked towards the exit of the Louvre, feet scraping drearily against the now beat up tile floor. 

*******

Perhaps to make up for the _"The_ Incident," Mr. Takaishi drove the weary group down for a weekend retreat to St-Jean-de-Luz. The seaside village was just what they needed. The small area was quite the contrast from the busy, industrialized Paris, and from crowded Japan. The place constantly smelled of the sea, as the wind blew in from the salty water. Houses with stucco walls and rusty roof shingles were scattered about. In the square, there was a weekly celebration where entertainers danced, sang, acted, and played music for anyone who stopped to watch. 

The girls enjoyed the quaint boutiques. 

The boys enjoyed the seafood. 

All in all, Mr. Takaishi thought it was the best idea he'd had yet. 

For dinner on Saturday, the group had gone to _Relais de St-Jacques._ Though Daisuke had been curious to go to _Le Pavillon de Jade,_ just to see how well the French could cook Asian food, the others had been insistent on eating a truly French meal. So, _Relais de St-Jacques_ it was. 

The best part of the meal, everyone had agreed, was not only was it not that costly, but the restaurant actually allowed digimon Partners inside. Miyako had asked just why that was, and nearly spat out her dinner wine upon seeing the restaurant manager walking around with his Partner... A Digitamamon. 

It was around ten on Sunday morning when the group arrived at the main square, where Mr. Takaishi ushered them to the front of the crowd that had gathered. In the center of the square were a group of people, decked out in robes, sheet music in a few of their hands. 

"It's zee Basque Choir," Mr. Takaishi whispered to them. "Zey come `ere every Sunday morning. I zought you might like to `ear zem. Maybe you can sing wiz zem, Takeru, oui?" he joked, winking at his grandson. 

"Ah, not today, Grandpa," Takeru whispered back, sweatdropping. 

The choir had already begun singing by then; a sad, pretty little tune that none of the children could identify. 

"_Séraphine,_" Mr. Takaishi said, smiling wistfully. "Belle chanson." 

"Oui," Catherine agreed. 

As the song died down, and another quickly took its place, people stayed, came and went. The Chosen decided to stay around the square, shopping, but still close enough to hear the music. Besides, it was the best time to go for bargains; before the area crowded with the weekly festival. 

Hikari, camera in one eager hand, had managed to talk Iori into trying on a few sweaters at a boutique. He wouldn't have done it at all if Miyako hadn't ganged up with her Jogress Partner, both girls making their best "kicked puppy" faces to win the boy over. While Hikari and Tailmon gleefully giggled and took pictures of the uncomfortable Child of Knowledge and Faith, Armadimon shook his head sympathetically for his Partner. 

"Try this one on, Iori-kun," Hikari, smiling the entire time, offered a blue, turtleneck sweater. 

"He'd look better in brown," Tailmon stated, holding up a two toned, V-neck knit, that Iori sensed was one size too big for him. 

"That would look so cute!" Hikari agreed, turning her shining, ruby eyes to the younger child. "Don't you think, Iori-kun?" 

Iori blinked, not quite sure he wanted to answer that dangerous question. On one hand, he certainly didn't want to try on any more ridiculous sweaters. On the other hand, he didn't want to deal with an upset Hikari and an angry Tailmon. Silence seemed his best option at the time. 

"Mignon!" 

Hikari, still taking pictures of her bewildered friend, was nearly bowled over by two giggling French girls. Both quickly surrounded a stunned Iori, and began talking to each other in rapid-fire French, every so often, one of them making a high pitched squeal, and pinching Iori's cheek. 

"Garçon mignon!" the short blonde, no older than Iori, cooed, cheeks aglow. 

"Il sera un homme bel!" the freckled redhead, closer to Hikari in age, sighed. 

Iori looked back and forth at both strangers, then almost pleadingly to his fellow Chosen Child. "Hikari-san... " 

Hikari shrugged back at him. "I don't know what they want. Hold on," she reached into her backpack, pulling out her Japanese to French dictionary. Flipping through the pages, she tried her best at the unfamiliar language. "Um... Excusez-moi. Est ce keh jeh puis... uh, voo aider?" 

"C'est horrible français," the redhead frowned. 

"Japonais," the blonde commented. 

"Oui." 

All this time, Iori felt the urge to shrink within his oversized sweater. "Hikari-san, help!" he near begged, feeling most uncomfortable with the blonde's arms now wrapped around his neck. 

Biting her lip and trying not to make a scene, Hikari tried once again to help her younger friend. "Excusez-moi-" 

"Ah, Hikari-chan! Iori-kun!" Takeru called, Patamon settled on his usual spot atop his Partner's hat. The blonde boy walked into the boutique, waving at them jovially. "There you two are. What's taking so long? Catherine was going to take us all on a tour of the side streets." 

Hikari sighed with relief upon seeing her best friend. "You see, we-" 

"Mignon!" the two French girls cried, both abandoning Iori in favor for the startled Takeru. 

"Um, hello?" Takeru managed, bemused at their near obscene closeness to him. 

"Japonais!" the blonde giggled. "Il ne comprend pas." 

"Est-ce que je puis vous embrasser?" the redhead asked, batting her eyes. 

"Huh?" Takeru gulped. 

Both French girls erupted into giggles. 

"Oh, dear," Hikari sighed, trying to figure out a way to now save her other friend. 

Iori, on the other hand, while worried for his Jogress Partner, could not help but say, "At least it's not me anymore." 

*******

Meanwhile, Daisuke, never one to claim patience was a virtue, had managed to talk Catherine into starting the side street tour without the three boutique imprisoned children. Mr. Takaishi said that he would wait for Takeru, Hikari and Iori, and take them on a little look around town himself. With that, Catherine led Daisuke, Ken and Miyako along. 

Well, kind of led. Daisuke did tend to skip ahead of them every so often to try to find a vantage point from which to look as far as he could. Through most of the side streets, he and V-mon were perched on house stoops, straining their necks and their eyesights. The image and enthusiasm of the Japanese boy and his Partner sent Catherine and Floramon into polite giggles each time. 

"Careful, Motomiya-kun," Ken warned, as his friend stood on the side of another stoop. "You'll fall." 

"Pff!" Daisuke waved it aside. "You worry too much." 

Predictably, that was when Daisuke's legs gave out from under him. With a yelp, he tumbled to the ground, V-mon shortly following him. They made a slight _thump_ as they landed on their chests, and winced as the wind was knocked out of them, but other than that seemed none the worse for wear. 

"Are you all right, Die-skay?" Catherine asked, helping him. 

"Yeah, yeah. Sure," he brushed the dust and dirt off of himself, V-mon following his move. "Nothing I can't handle!" 

"Nothing he hasn't done before," Miyako teasingly jabbed, earning herself a raspberry from the begoggled boy. 

"C'mon," Daisuke said, still giving a half-hearted glare at the heather haired girl. "I saw the beach a little ways up!" 

They walked a bit more down the cobblestone streets before the water began coming into view. The beach didn't look too crowded from where they were, and Daisuke was already planning on how much energy and time it would take to haul an unappreciating Miyako into the water, shoes and all. 

It was a soccer ball to his side that cut Daisuke out of his devilish thoughts. 

"Excusez-moi!" a little boy ran over from one of the adjacent side streets. Picking up the ball, he smiled, sheepishly. "Je regrette," he apologized, and ran back to the group of children waiting for him. 

Daisuke's plans for the rest of the day immediately altered. "Soccer! Whoo hoo! Let's go, V-mon!" he cried, catching up to the boy with the sports ball. 

"Oh, but... " Catherine frowned, obviously worried over the group separating. 

"It's okay," Ken assured her, used to his Jogress Partner's impulsive behavior. "You keep an eye out on him. We'll go to the beach," he waved his hand over to Miyako. "My French is pretty passable, so we shouldn't have any problems. You two can meet us there later." 

"Well, all right," Catherine reluctantly agreed, then slowly followed after Daisuke. 

Miyako was practically glowing as she watched the French girl depart. She'd finally get some time alone with Ken! All the waiting was beginning to pay off. 

"So, Ken-kun," she turned to the indigo haired boy, "what should we do first?" 

"Hmm," he pondered. "I'm not quite sure. What do you think, Wormmon?" 

Miyako blinked. Wormmon? 

"I want to build a sandcastle, Ken-chan!" the bug digimon happily declared, thrilled at the idea. 

"Okay," Ken laughed. "A sandcastle, it is. Is that all right with you, Miyako-san?" he looked at the girl, and his smile quickly faded. "Are you okay, Miyako-san? You look pale." 

She didn't respond right away. She was too busy feeling her high hopes for the day crash down upon her head. Wormmon... Hawkmon... How could she have forgotten their digimon were with them? There went another chance at privacy. Sometimes there was just no justice in life! 

"Yes," she sighed, placing a smile on her face. "I'm fine. A... A sandcastle sounds like a good idea." 

"Yay!" Wormmon cheered, practically jumping on his pincers. "Can we make it really big, Ken-chan?" 

The boy grinned. "Of course, we can. As big as you want it." 

Hawkmon patted his Partner's hand. "Don't worry, Miyako-san. This will be fun!" 

She glared down at him. "Oh, shut up." 

*******

On the sidelines, Catherine laughed and cheered Daisuke on, as he impressed the local children with a few soccer tricks. He kept the ball in the air with the top of one foot, then caught it between his knees, which earned him many shouts of, "Fantastique!" He spent a good deal of time teaching them how to keep the ball up with just their knees, and how to balance it on their heads. After awhile, the crowd began to just marginally disperse, as the children all started a loose game, both sides arguing over who would get Daisuke. The boy settled the matter when he had Catherine tell the children that he'd just watch and cheer _both_ sides on. 

One spare ball lobbing between his hands, Daisuke leaned against the brick wall of a house, grinning at the children as they zoomed by him. 

"Zey really like you," Catherine smiled, walking up beside him. 

"Looks that way, doesn't it?" he laughed, making sure V-mon was still in sight. His digimon, along with Floramon, were quite the hit with the smaller girls that lived on the block. The two Child Digimon were graciously allowing themselves to be futzed over by the young children. 

"Do you want to be a professional?" Catherine asked, curious. 

"Me? Professional soccer?" Daisuke looked down, smiling sadly. "Can't say it's not a nice dream. But I'm really not that good. Don't tell Ken I said that, though," he added. "I'd actually like to open up a noodle shop. Or maybe a cart. Yeah, a cart would be great." 

Catherine looked at him in confusion. "A noodle cart?" 

"Sure," he shrugged. "I've always liked to cook. Have since I was a kid. My mom used to make ramen with me all the time back then. Still does every so often. And with a cart, I wouldn't be stuck in one place all the time! I could never be stuck in an office," Daisuke confided. "That would drive me nuts.   
"And hey, if my cart is a success, maybe I can make a chain of them," he winked. "Then I'd be richer than a soccer player, anyway!" 

Catherine laughed. "You `ave it all figured out, don't you?" 

"Naturally," he shrugged. "I'm a think ahead type of person, ya know?" 

This statement sent Catherine into a new wave of laughter. 

"Oh, you think I'm not?" Daisuke feigned hurt. "Think you're better? Let's see you do... this!" He placed the soccer ball atop his head, and easily balanced it. He smirked challengingly at her. "Care to give it a try?" 

"It can't be zat `ard," Catherine breezily said, whisking the ball off Daisuke's skull, and placing it on her own. Unfortunately, the instant she let go of it, the ball decided to just let gravity have its way, and fell off, nearly bopping her nose in the process. 

Daisuke caught it before it hit the ground. Handing it back to her with a grin, he chuckled, "Oh, really?" 

"If you can do it," Catherine quirked her lips, "I can do it." 

She tried again. This time, the ball fell to her left side. Then her right side. Then, once again, her left side. The whole time, Daisuke caught the ball, made a smart remark, and handed it back to Catherine to give it another go. He was having quite the time watching the prim French girl figure out a way to get a dirty soccer ball to balance on her perfectly clean, golden curls. 

After a few more fumbles, Catherine stubbornly placed the soccer ball once again atop her head, and this time the Fates decided that the ball would stay. However, before she could properly gloat, the evil soccer ball made another suicide dive, this time falling behind her. 

"Got it!" Daisuke said, lunging his hands out. 

He did indeed manage to snag the ball mid fall. In fact, it barely slipped passed Catherine's neck. However, Daisuke's method in catching the offending object left his arms flanking Catherine's shoulders, their faces scant centimeters apart. For an eternal moment, both of them stared and blinked, red dusting their cheeks. 

Then, as if his brain had suddenly kicked in, Daisuke pulled away, putting the soccer ball in front of his reddened face. "Got it!" he repeated, his voice cracking. He began to jog away, waving to Catherine with jerking, uncomfortable movements. "C-C'mon, Cathy! I'll teach you how to kick." 

"Um... " Catherine's hands flew to her warm cheeks, as her head spun just slightly. She watched the confusing Japanese boy wave again, making her blush even harder. She suddenly shook her head. This was silly. She was French, after all! Closeness wasn't uncommon. Not at all. 

Still... 

"`Old on! I'll be right zere!" Trying to ignore the butterflies that had suddenly taken up residence in her stomach, Catherine ran after Daisuke's receding figure. 

**Next Chapter: Of Stars, Fears, and Kisses**


	4. Of Stars, Fears, and Kisses

_Disclaimer:_ I own nothing. Not _Digimon_, or any of the characters that show entails. This is purely for fun, and I am making no profit. None of the characters in this story are of my own design. Only the concept is mine. 

_Author's Notes:_ There will be some French in here and there. Since I'm not even close to fluent, I'm not sure if I'm accurate with all translations. Be prepared. And forgive me for any errors I may make. 

Since FF.Net is no longer sending out Author Alerts, I decided to start a mailing list so that I can alert people when my stories are updated. Just send me an e-mail, and I'll add you to it. 

*******   
**Bonjour**   
*******

**Chapter 4: Of Stars, Fears, and Kisses**

The Monday back from St-Jean-de-Luz started off relatively lazy. The Japanese Chosen and their digimon lounged in the backyard of M. Takaishi's house. Miyako and Hikari had taken up residence on the lounge chairs, working on tans, while the boys decided a few laps around the pool would be a great way to cool off in the midday sun. 

Some of the digimon had situated themselves in the pool, V-mon and Patamon having the easiest time, just jumping in. Patamon had learned that his ears were great for skimming along. Armadimon had managed to sit his heavy body on an inner tube, and was happily, if not precariously bobbing along. Wormmon had _tried_ to swim, but found his pincers were not made for paddling. Miyako had offered the poor shivering digimon a lap, and he was soon enjoying not only being on dry land, but having his antennae rubbed by a sun soaking Miyako. 

Whereas, Hawkmon and Tailmon hadn't even bothered with the pool. Tailmon had just given the water a dirty look, and situated herself on a lawn chair. Hawkmon hadn't gone in because he thought the boys were acting far too raucous for his taste. He too found a chair, and a book he had smuggled into Miyako's suitcase. 

"Bonjour, mes amis!" Catherine cheerfully called, gracefully walking into the back. Her golden curls were, for once, set in a high ponytail, and instead of the usual sundress, she wore a red tank top and denim shorts. Over her right shoulder were a pair of roller blades, and she was waving a flyer over her head. 

"Catherine-chan," both Hikari and Miyako waved, looking for all the world so relaxed that they would simply melt into their chairs. 

"Cathy!" Daisuke said, playfully splashing at her as she walked alongside the pool. "C'mon in and join us!" 

"Ah, Die-skay," Catherine sighed, melodramatically. "I would, but I don't `ave a bazing suit. Zough, I could just jump in wiz my bra and panties," she added with a smile. 

All four boys in the pool blushed madly, Daisuke himself stuttering a bit. 

With a victorious giggle, Catherine lifted up the flyer. "Actually, I came `ere to show you all zis." 

With no idea what was in front of them, Takeru, Daisuke and Iori stared at it cluelessly. Ken, however, had a better grasp on it, but not by much. A few simple words like "Friday," and "nighttime" stood out to him, but most of it was past his written knowledge of the foreign language that was French. 

"What is it?" Iori asked, speaking for everyone. 

"Hmm?" Catherine blinked, confused a moment, before blushing realization appeared on her face. "Oh, sorry! It's zee _'Friday Night Fever Skate,'_" she explained, showing the flyer to Miyako, who had finally stood up to get a look along with Hikari. "Every Friday night, zee Pari Roller organization `olds zee event. Skaters from all over zee world meet at Gare Montparnasse. Zey start zere, and end at Place d'Italie about zree hours later.   
"I've been to four of zem so far," Catherine smiled. "Zey're a lot of fun. I zought you might like to try it." 

"That does sound interesting," Hikari remarked, looking at the flyer. 

"I'm up for it!" Daisuke exclaimed, pushing himself out of the water to sit at the edge of the pool. "Finally something exciting to do, instead of just sight seeing." 

Takeru scratched head, still wading in the water. "I'm pretty good with normal skates. You know the two tracked kind," he murmured, sheepishly. "Roller blades haven't always been kind to me." 

Catherine grinned. "Zat's okay, Tahkeh-roo," she promised. "Any type of skates are acceptable. Just so long as you can skate." 

"Well, then we might have a problem," Miyako stated, her face reddening slightly. "I've never really skated much." 

"Neither have I," Iori admitted. 

"We'll teach you," Ken offered, swimming over to the steps of the in ground pool. "It's really not that hard to learn." 

"Yeah, Iori-kun," Takeru patted his Jogress partner's head, reassuringly. "We have a few days. That should be enough to make sure you stay on your feet." 

"I guess," Iori consented, though still cautious. 

"We're in, then!" Daisuke proclaimed, slapping his hands together in eager anticipation. 

"Ah, good!" Catherine nodded. "We'll sign you all up, and zen lessons will begin." 

*******

"Steady, Eeoh-ree," Catherine cautioned, lightly holding on to the wobbling boy's shoulders. "Don't let your legs stiffen." 

Iori nodded, forcing his trembling legs to relax more, as he glided precariously along the street in two tracked skates. Everyone had decided that the traditional form of skates would be best for Iori and Miyako, seeing as they offered better balance for beginners. With Catherine's help, who everyone quickly deemed the best skater, Iori was actually getting a good feel for it early Tuesday evening. 

Miyako, however, was a different story. 

"Eep!" the heather haired girl screeched for what seemed the fortieth time that day. With brown eyes large, she tumbled forward, only being saved from the street by Ken, who pulled her back by her shoulders. 

"Stop questioning where you put your feet, Miyako-san," he offered. "You're hesitating, and it's making you lose your balance. One foot in front of the other." 

"It's not that easy, Ken-kun!" she sniffled, growing frustrated. "I put one foot forward and it's fine. But when I try to put the other foot forward, the first foot slips and I fall!" 

"You have to angle your feet, that's all," he assured her, skating to her front and turning to face her. "Here," he grabbed her hands. "I'll pull you along, and you'll just glide. That way you'll get used to it. Okay?" 

Miyako bit her lip, hesitantly. "Okay." She tightened her grip on his hands. "But, don't let me fall!" 

The indigo haired boy smiled. "I won't. Now, here we go." 

Ken began to pull her forward, Miyako grinding her teeth nervously along the way. On the sidelines, Takeru, Daisuke and Hikari looked on. 

"Do you think they'll be ready for Friday?" Daisuke asked, skeptically glancing at a jittering Miyako. 

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Takeru nodded. "All they have to do is learn the basics. It's not a race or anything." 

"I'm worried more for Miyako than Iori," Hikari admitted. She cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted encouragingly at her Jogress partner. "You're doing fine, Miyako-san!" 

"Why?" Daisuke asked. 

"It's just that when Miyako becomes very nervous and worried about something, it takes a while to get her to calm down over it," Hikari explained. "She's very stubborn. If she doesn't think she can do something, even if she has the ability to do it, she won't be able to. She might get the hang of this, but I don't know if it'll be before Friday." 

"Have a little faith in Miyako," Takeru defended. "She's a quick learner, and she doesn't want to miss out on anything. I'm sure she'll pick it up in time." 

"I suppose so," Hikari said, though not very convinced. 

"So," Daisuke began, deciding to change the subject, "are you ready for Friday, Takeru?" 

"What?" Takeru stuttered, surprised. "Of course, I am! What makes you ask that?" 

"Well, it's just that," Daisuke stood up, spinning easily on his blades, "I know Hikari-chan and I can skate well. I know Ken is good. And we've all decided that Cathy is better than any of us. However, I've never actually seen _you_ skate," he pointed out. "You've been sitting for all this time. All we have is your word." 

Takeru frowned, and stood up straight. "I can skate just fine." 

Daisuke smirked, challengingly. "Prove it." 

"How?" Takeru asked, having a feeling he already knew. 

"Race you down this street and the next," answered Daisuke, pointing the way down. 

"Daisuke-kun, Takeru-kun... " Hikari shook her head, knowing that no matter what she said, it wouldn't do any good. 

"You're on," accepted Takeru, following Daisuke to end of the street. 

Catherine watched them as they passed. "Die-skay!" she called. "Where are you and Tahkeh-roo going?" 

"We're just gonna race down these two blocks!" Daisuke answered. "Won't take long." 

"Race down zee streets?" Catherine repeated, incredulous. "Are zey serious?" 

"Unfortunately," Iori sighed, waving the French girl over to the curb and out of harm's way, "yes. Daisuke-san and Takeru-san are very competitive with each other." 

Ken too was pulling Miyako out of the street. 

The tall girl shook her head. "They just can't help themselves, can they?" 

"No," Ken replied, shaking his head as well. "They usually can't." 

Daisuke and Takeru situated themselves at the edge of the block, Daisuke making sure they were right on line with the corner of the curb. He turned to Takeru, and nodded. The blonde nodded back, and the two boys crouched into position. 

"Someone start the race for us!" Daisuke yelled. "Count down, or yell 'go,' or something!" 

Catherine, not used to what she was seeing, and rather curious, volunteered. "Trois! Deux! Un! _Go!_" 

The two took off like bullets, barreling down the street. With his long legs, Takeru had gotten a better start than Daisuke, but the shorter boy wasn't that far behind. They were soon exchanging the lead back and forth, while houses became multi colored blurs. The other children watched on, as the pair zipped along the uneven asphalt. The whole time, neither Daisuke or Takeru looked at each other. They had learned some time ago in their rivalry that taunts and bragging usually lead to defeat. Best to keep their eyes focused on the finish line. 

With hearts pounding, blood rushing to their faces, sweat caressing their skin, and their legs stiffening with each stroke, they raced along, the buildings flanking them looking nothing more but colorful blurs. The wheels on the skates hissed in competitive contempt of one another, as both boys took greedy gulps of air, their heads becoming just slightly light. 

They looked neck and neck towards the middle of the last block. It was then that it was made apparent that while both boys were athletic, soccer was far better training for this sort of thing than basketball was. With a determined stride, Daisuke bolted past Takeru for the last few meters, arriving at the finish line before the blonde did. He had already halted, and was catching his breath when Takeru skid over. 

The taller boy stopped a bit rougher than the begoggled boy, panting a bit himself. Their eyes met, and there was a tense silence between them as they stared each other down. Two blocks away, the group watched the scene, hoping they wouldn't have to run over to stop a fight. 

Finally, Takeru grinned, and put his hand out. "Good race." 

Daisuke smiled back, and shook the boy's hand. "Yeah. Good race." 

Still blocks apart, Catherine smiled, charmed. "`Ow sweet! Zey're such good friends. `Ave zey always been like zat?" 

The other children managed not to choke at the oblivious question. 

"Ah, well," Hikari vaguely began, "more or less." 

*******

Friday evening arrived quicker than they expected, and everyone was getting their equipment prepared. Helmets, knee and elbow pads, and small backpacks with finger sandwiches and water. Three hours was a long time to skate, after all. Catherine had told them that the skate started at 10:00 pm, so they needed to be there by 9:45 at the latest. By the time everyone was ready, the word "eager" would have been perfect to describe them all. 

All, except Miyako. Through the week, it had become readily apparent that Hikari's observation of her Jogress partner was accurate. No matter how hard they worked at it, Miyako simply couldn't get the hang of skating. Iori had managed to be able to skate relatively well, and Takeru and Hikari had offered to stay close to him just to be safe. However, Miyako was simply a lost cause at it. 

"I feel so bad about this, Miyako-san," Hikari admitted, as they all stood in the living room. "You should be able to go, too." 

"It's all right, Hikari-chan," Miyako assured her. "I'll just stay here with the digimon." 

"It's not fair that we can't go to this skate thing, too!" V-mon complained. 

"You'd probably just be run over, anyway," Tailmon remarked. 

V-mon pouted at the retort, and Floramon patted his head, sympathetically. 

Daisuke looked at his watch. "We're gonna be late." 

"Still, I don't feel right about it," Hikari persisted, frowning. "This is supposed to be a vacation for all of us. You should come along." 

"And do what? I can't skate," Miyako pointed out. "I'd just stand there, looking really stupid. Besides, I'd be by myself with a bunch of people who don't understand me. I'd rather be with someone." 

"I'll stay with you, then," a voice piped up. 

Miyako blinked. "Ken-kun?" 

"Sure. Why not?" The Child of Kindness shrugged. "Then you'll have someone to talk to." 

"B-but you can't," Miyako stuttered, flushed a bit. "I mean, you can skate, Ken-kun! You shouldn't have to be stuck with me." 

"Late, people," Daisuke interjected. 

"I won't be _stuck_ with you, Miyako-san," Ken smiled. "We'll find something to do. We'll be still be in Paris, after all." 

"Maybe M. Takaishi could drop you two off at zee Eiffel Tower," Catherine said, turning to the older man. "It shouldn't be zat `ard." 

"It would be my pleasure," Mr. Takaishi said, grasping Miyako's hand, and with a flourish, kissing it. "Any-zing for a lady." 

"If you're not going to skate, Ken-chan," Wormmon started, "maybe I could co-" 

Hawkmon rapped his wing tips against Wormmon's head. "Not tonight," the bird whispered. 

The caterpillar looked at him, confused. "Why not?" he asked, softly. 

"I'll tell you later," Hawkmon promised, with a conspiratory wink. 

"What was that, Wormmon?" Ken asked his partner. 

"Uh, nothing, Ken-chan," Wormmon answered, deciding to let this one go. "You have fun." 

Ken grinned. "I will." 

Miyako blushed profusely. 

"Are we going already?" Daisuke moaned. 

*******

Come 9:45, Gare Montparnasse was swarmed with skaters, all willing and able to partake in the event. The Chosen watched as people adjusted backpacks, and wristbands. Many spoke English or Spanish. Some even German. Athletes, with their spandex outfits and high-tech blades were easily spotted among the casual skaters dressed in shorts. Still, whether they were pro or simply liked to skate, everyone looked like they were having a good time, and the Festival hadn't even started yet. 

Iori adjusted his backpack one last time, then frowned when Miyako knocked lightly on his helmet covered head. 

"Relax, Iori-kun," she smiled. "It's not going to fall off." 

"I know that," Iori said, his hands still gripping the pack's straps. "It's just nervous tension, I suppose. This'll be the first time I've ever ridden at night. And it's for so long!" 

"You'll do fine," Takeru grinned at him. "Hikari-chan and I already promised to look out for you." 

"And if you need to stop," Catherine added, "you can just skate to zee sidelines." 

Iori nodded at the information, feeling a bit more at ease with the whole thing, but still not quite comfortable. Miyako once again knocked on her best friend's protected skull. 

"You'll be okay," she promised, with a wink. "You'll have fun." 

"Speaking about `aving fun," Mr. Takaishi interrupted, "we should get going. Zee Eiffel Tower awaits!" 

"Oh, that's right!" Miyako squealed. "This'll be so great. I'll see you guys later!" she beamed, waving to them as she ran to the car, Mr. Takaishi behind her. 

Ken also waved good-bye. "We'll see you back at the house." 

However, when he turned to leave, his Jogress partner stopped him. "Hey, Ken," Daisuke began, his expression curious. "Why'd you offer to stay with Miyako, anyway? You were looking forward to this skate." 

Ken shrugged. "I didn't want Miyako-san to be by herself. And besides," he smiled, "with Takeru-san and Hikari-san watching over Iori-kun, that leaves you, Catherine-san, and myself. And I didn't want to be a third wheel." 

Daisuke blinked, clueless. "Third wheel? I don't get it." 

The indigo haired boy chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Motomiya-kun." He turned, waving over his shoulder as he made his way to the car. "Enjoy yourself!" 

Daisuke was still scratching his head by the time Catherine tapped his shoulder. "Die-skay, zey're about to start. We `ave to get to zee group." 

He looked at the French girl, and almost jolted. It finally struck him; no Ken meant that it would probably just be him and Catherine. Just the two of them. For _three_ hours. Suddenly, Daisuke felt extremely nervous, and unbearably clumsy. Worst of all, he wasn't quite sure why. "Yeah. Okay." 

"Are you all right?" she asked, concerned at his sudden loss of color. 

"Uh, never better!" he shook his head, plastering on his patented grin. "C'mon, Cathy!" he said, skating past her, albeit shakily. "You're right. Don't want to lose Takeru, Hikari-chan, and Iori-kun before the skate even starts." 

*******

"Now _this,_" Miyako breathed, "is just as beautiful as the pictures of it!" 

Ken nodded in silent agreement, violet eyes gazing up at the famous Eiffel Tower. The international monument stood proud, lit up from top to bottom, making it seem that, for those at a distance, stars had fallen from the sky and made their home in Paris. 

"Makes you realize why this is considered one of the _'Seven Wonders of the World,'_" Ken commented softly, as if afraid that speaking too loud would be a disservice to the Tower. 

"Ah, zee Tower is gorgeous at night, no?" Mr. Takaishi asked, looking wistfully at it. 

"Are you going inside with us, Mr. Takaishi?" Ken queried at the older man. 

"Hm? Ah, no, little ones," the distinguished blonde smiled at the two. "La tour d'Eiffel la nuit est pour des amoureux," he said, winking conspiratorially at Ken. 

The boy, having a pretty good idea what the man said, blushed a bit, a small sweatdrop appearing on the side of his head. Miyako, however, simply nodded, looking a bit confused at the exchange. 

"Good night, little ones," Mr. Takaishi said with a grin, walking away. "I'll pick you up in about an hour." 

"G'night, Mr. Takaishi!" Miyako called, while Ken hoped his face would stop burning. When the man was out of sight, Miyako turned brightly to the younger boy next to her. "Let's go, Ken-kun!" 

"All right," he nodded, coughing into his hand to cover up the fading blush. "So, which floor do you want to go to, Miyako-san? First, second, or third? The first two do have restaurants," he added, knowing his companion's newfound fondness for French cuisine. 

"The third floor, of course!" Miyako waved her hand, smiling. "I want the best view, so I can see all of Paris!" 

He chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Third floor it is, then." 

Miyako was practically walking on air by the time they got into the elevator, and it began ascending. No friends, no digimon, no nothing to interfere with some private time with Ken. And at the Eiffel Tower, no less! Finally, the Fates were on her side. 

"It's a shame the others aren't here," Ken said, as the elevator rose. 

"Yeah... " Miyako felt a twinge of guilt. Iori would've enjoyed the historic significance of the place, and she was sure Hikari would've been taking so many pictures her family back home would know the Eiffel Tower inside and out. "But, I'm sure Catherine-chan will take them to see it. We can even go with them. I mean, you can't go to Paris _without_ seeing the Eiffel Tower!" 

Ken smiled, softly. "That's true." 

The elevator jerked to a stop, and tourists, including the two Chosen, ambled out onto the third floor. Dim lights barely lit up the souvenir booths that hugged the inside walls, and there were no lights at all near the windows, so people could see Paris clearly at night. 

Ken grinned at Miyako, as the heather haired girl ran over to the windows, giggling. With wide, golden brown eyes, she stared in awe of the sight in front of her. "Beautiful... " 

When he saw it himself, there was no way Ken could argue with the statement. With so many lights in the city, the stars were barely visible. However, the lights themselves more than made up for it; the city was awash in yellow, white, pink and blue. It was as if the sky had fallen on Paris, ever blinking, glittering, and moving. If you let your eyesight relax, it almost looked like a shining blanket. 

"Oh," Miyako sighed, tapping on the window. "I wish we could see the stars as well as we can the city. Not that the city isn't just lovely. It's just that up here I thought we'd have a wonderful view of them, also." 

"Well," Ken said with a small smile, "we can just improvise." 

"Improvise?" she repeated, curious. 

"Sure. See that cluster of street lights over there?" he asked, pointing to his right. "That sort of looks like Orion, don't you think?" 

"It does?" she questioned, peering over, and adjusting her glasses. "I don't see it at all, Ken-kun." 

"You're just not trying," he told her. "It really does, once you think about it." 

"Well... " she tilted her head to the side. "I guess it kinda does." 

"And see right in the middle of it? That bright line?" Ken asked enthusiastically, trying to get her into it. "That's his Belt." 

Miyako blinked a moment, then giggled. "I _can_ see that!" 

He grinned. "There ya go! Now, you try." 

"Me? Hmmm... " Her eyes scanned the area for a moment, before she began pointing wildly at a few small buildings. "That looks like Sagittarius!" 

Ken followed as best he could to where she was pointing. "It does a bit. And over to its left looks like-" 

"Auriga!" they said together. They laughed a bit at each other, but stopped rather quickly when they noticed the stares they were receiving. 

"Well, only sorta," Miyako amended. 

"Yes," Ken nodded, with a grin. "It _is_ a rather demented Auriga." 

"Not that Auriga's such a defined shape to begin with," she noted with a small laugh. 

He nodded again in agreement, enjoying the rare small talk. It's not that Daisuke wasn't a good conversationalist; Daisuke could talk till his tongue fell out. It was just things like astronomy and computers, things that interested Ken on an intellectual level, bored his best friend to the point of practically sending the begoggled boy into a coma. Science and math... Sure, they weren't the most exciting things out there, but it was nice once in a while to have a conversation that dealt with them. Out of their small circle of friends, Miyako was really the only one with those interests besides Ken. He was grateful to have her around. Besides, her cheerful attitude was just as contagious as Daisuke's energy level. 

The lavender haired girl now had her full attention on the city, trying to find other lights that resembled constellations. With her head tilted down, her glasses slipped slightly down her nose, however, Miyako made no move to adjust them. On impulse, Ken reached over, and gently pushed the frames back to their proper place. Miyako gasped at the touch, and he pulled his hand back, his face burning. 

"S-sorry," he stuttered, feeling supremely small. 

"It's okay!" she assured him, a little too quickly. She tapped her fingers together, nervously. "It's no big deal. I mean, they were falling off, and I wasn't paying much attention to them, so they could've just fallen to the floor. And then I could've broken them, and what would I have done then? I don't have my extra pair here with me, after all, so that would've been really bad, and-" Miyako's flood of words hit a dam when she looked to her right, noticing a couple being... rather intimate with each other. In fact, when her eyes skittered around she noted most people were embracing. Her companion realized this, too, and blushed accordingly.   
"Oh, dear, would you look at," she chuckled, uncomfortably. "Well, this isn't really turning out at all like I'd hope. Not that it didn't start off well, mind you, because it did, and I really appreciate you coming here with me on such short notice, Ken-kun. I know you probably wanted to skate more, and this must've been a real bother, so I'm just going to apologize now, and hope that I don't die of embarrassment until after we get back to Mr. Takaishi's home." 

Ken blinked. "Miyako-san." 

"This is really quite awful right now, isn't it?" she continued, looking at her feet. "All these people around us, doing... _things._ It's really quite uncomfortable. I didn't expect this, though I guess I should've considering this _is_ Paris. I just wanted to spend a little time with you, that's all. Ah, not that I don't like spending time with everyone else!" she added, flustered with herself. "I like everyone very much, and... Oh, dear, I'm making this worse now, aren't I? I just can't seem to get anything right this vacation. I'm acting like a complete-" 

"_Miyako-san._" Before should could interrupt him again, Ken tilted her face towards his. With a rather determined expression, he pressed his lips against hers, just hard enough so that Miyako, in her suddenly tumbling brain, could process the idea that yes, he _was_ kissing her, and that no, she _wasn't_ having another dream. Though, the strange mix of tingling in her stomach, and numbness in her legs made her wonder if she was fully awake.   
A shocked, blushing look was frozen on Miyako's face by the time Ken broke the kiss. He gave her a quick, nervous smile, and suddenly turned to the window, pointing. "Look over there, near that church. I think I see Gemini." 

She stared at him a few moments more, until her face slowly turned to the window to follow his view. With a slow smile forming and her still rosy face, she said, "It certainly looks like it, doesn't it?" 

*******

Two hours into the skate, and Daisuke felt his legs begin to cramp up. He and Catherine had actually managed to keep up with the front of the mob, though he silently admitted that Catherine could've probably have been even more in the front of the pack if she wasn't constantly slowing down for him. It wouldn't be too long before the two of them got to Place d'Italie. Maybe a half an hour. Forty five minutes at most. They'd made good time. 

But now his legs were demanding a small break, and Daisuke wasn't sure he could ignore them. Still, he tried to keep moving, wincing against the pain. Catherine was skating along like she was born on blades; he didn't want to hold her back more so than he already had. Then his right leg decided to show him that sometimes determination isn't enough, and Charlie Horsed on him. 

His leg stiffened brutally, and Daisuke yelped, nearly toppling over. Without missing a beat, Catherine grabbed him by his arm, and skated him to the side. Slowly she helped him sit down, as he forced his cramping leg to stay straight, and not bend like the taught muscles were demanding it to. 

"`Ow bad?" Catherine asked, pulling out a bottle of water, and handing it to him. 

"Not too," Daisuke answered, gratefully taking the drink. He twisted the cap off, and chugged a good half of it before pulling it away from his lips. "Just a Charlie Horse. It'll be better in a few minutes." 

"All right," she nodded, taking a drink for herself. "We'll rest for about ten minutes. Zat should be enough for zee cramp to ease, and for us to get a little strengz back." 

"Yeah," he panted, wiping a bit of sweat away from his forehead. He watched her take a small sip from her water, barely looking out of breath herself. She was watching the skaters fly by with a wistful expression, and Daisuke suddenly felt rather low. "I'm really sorry." 

"Don't worry about it," Catherine waved her hand, dismissively. "You can't `elp getting leg cramps in zings like zis." 

"Eh, it's not just that," Daisuke sighed. "I'm holding you back. I've been holding you back this entire time" 

Catherine blinked. "What do you mean?" 

"Oh, come on. You must know what I mean," he said, frowning. "You're great at this. Much better than I am. You keep on having to slow down just so I can _barely_ keep up with you. You probably could've _finished_ this race by now if it weren't for me!" 

"Die-skay," she shook her head, smiling, "zis isn't a race! It's just a skate for people `oo enjoy zee sport. It doesn't matter `ow quickly I go, just as long as I enjoy myself. And I am enjoying myself," she added. "Besides, you are doing much better zan `Eekah-ree, Tahkeh-roo, and Eeoh-ree. Zey `ad to stop awhile ago, and I `aven't seen zem since. Zey must be quite a bit be`ind us. You're very fast." 

"Not as fast as you," Daisuke commented. Curious, he asked, "Just why are you so good?" 

"Zat would be my muzzer's fault," Catherine explained, taking another sip from her bottled water. "She was always a figure skating fan. My mama, she loves zee ice very much. So, when I was only four, she brought me to my first ice rink. I've been skating ever since. Zee changeover to roller blades wasn't zat `ard. I just `ad to get used to zee `elmet and pads," she grinned. 

"You can figure skate?" he wondered. 

"Well, I'm not going to win any medals," Catherine blushed, "but I'm pretty good. I really just like skating as fast as I can. I zink I may try to convince my muzzer to let me try speed skating. _If_ she doesn't zink it is too unfeminine," she sighed. 

"I bet you'd be great at it!" Daisuke said, enthusiastically. 

She smiled brightly at the compliment. "You zink so?" 

"Sure!" he nodded. "I mean, I've never seen anyone skate so fast on blades before. You'd be excellent!" 

"Zank you, Die-skay," she leaned over, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You're very sweet." When she noticed his sudden stiffness, and his bright red face, she blinked worriedly. "Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, sure," he stuttered, turning an even deeper red. "Just no one's ever just kissed me before. Especially not in public." 

"Really?" Catherine asked, surprised. "People don't show affection in your country?" 

"No, no. They do," Daisuke said, suddenly _needing_ to massage his uncramping right leg. "Just not kissing... In public. We hold hands, or put our arms around each other's shoulders. That's about it." 

"Oh... " her voice trailed for a moment, a small frown on her lips. "Your country is very confusing. We always show affection `ere. `Ow else would you show appreciation to friends and family?" 

"You always just kiss your friends' cheeks?" he asked. 

"In greeting, oui," Catherine answered. "To say 'zank you,' no." 

Daisuke did a minor double take. "W-well then, why did you kiss me?" 

She grinned. "Because I zink you're cute, Die-skay," she kissed his lips quickly, then pulled away, her impish grin still in place. "And, I'm French, so I don't care `oo knows." 

Daisuke felt his already red face begin to burn, as Catherine cheerfully slipped her backpack on, and stood up. She helped the stunned, blushing boy to his feet, and tapped his nose. 

"We better go," she smiled. "We want to make sure we beat zee others to Place d'Italie, oui?" 

"Uh, yeah," he nodded, rigorously. 

Catherine frowned slightly. "Die-skay, I didn't make you uncomfortable, did I?" 

The Japanese boy gazed at the just slightly pensive French girl, and felt his mouth twitch. She really was something, this blonde haired, blue eyed girl, who dressed like the uppercrust, skated like a boy, and was more open with her feelings than Miyako. Pretty girl. Strange girl. Pretty strange girl. 

And Daisuke found that he rather enjoyed having her around. She made things interesting, at the very least. 

"No, I'm fine, Cathy," he assured her, a lopsided grin appearing. "I'm really fine. C'mon!" he skated past her, testing out his leg a bit in the process. "I'm not gonna let Takeru get there ahead of me!" 

"Good," Catherine said, easily skating beside him. She turned to him, a competitive look on her face. "Because I don't like second place." 

Daisuke's grin widened. He really, _really_ enjoyed having this girl around. 

**Next Chapter: Au Revoir**


	5. Au Revoir

_Disclaimer:_ I own nothing. Not _Digimon_, or any of the characters that show entails. This is purely for fun, and I am making no profit. None of the characters in this story are of my own design. Only the concept is mine. 

_Author's Notes:_ There will be some French in here and there. Since I'm not even close to fluent, I'm not sure if I'm accurate with all translations. Be prepared. And forgive me for any errors I may make. 

_*gasps*_ It's finally done! A few weeks after I thought I'd finish the last chapter, but hey... Least it's done. ;) Mature reviews. I dig `em. 

*******   
**Bonjour**   
*******

**Chapter 5: Au Revoir**

"So, you've been having a really good time?" Jun asked, her voice sounding a bit like musical static, thanks to their connection. 

"Yeah, a lot," Daisuke answered, pressing the receiver against his ear, as if it would make his sister's voice clearer. "France is... different from Japan, but they've got a lot of cool stuff. They even have a few places where you can buy manga in French." 

"Really?" the excitement in Jun's voice was nearly palpable. "Do you think you can buy me some?" 

"Well," he frowned, "I can try-" 

"_Love Witch!_ Find me that!" his sister giggled. "That'd be so cool." 

"Jun, that just started back home!" Daisuke argued. "They won't have it translated yet." 

"Oh," she sighed. "Then, try _PQ Angels._ You think you can get that?" 

"It's possible," he said, rubbing his temples. "I probably shouldn't have told you about the manga. You won't be able to even read it." 

"I'll have the original manga, Dai," Jun retorted, as if talking to a five year old. "I'll know what they're saying." 

"Then why even get it?" Daisuke asked. 

"Because it'll be in French, silly!" was the laughed answer. "Think of it as your souvenir for me." 

"Why should I get you a souvenir?" he dared to question. 

"Because I'm your _sister,_ you jerk!" Jun snapped. "You always get your family souvenirs when you go away. It's polite." 

"Fine, fine," Daisuke huffed. He should've known that would be her answer. He couldn't really argue with it; she had gotten him a few gifts on her trips away from home. "Listen, I gotta go. I've spent way too much time on the phone." 

"Oh, okay," Jun sighed. "I'll see you in a couple days." 

"Yeah, sure," he said, looking out the window. In the front yard everyone was gathered, kicking around a soccer ball that Daisuke himself had bought. If he had known that his conversation with his sister was going to take so long, he would've asked everyone to wait for him. He watched as Catherine missed the ball once more, and said something loud, and --fortunately for their delicate ears-- in French. Daisuke felt his eyebrow twitch when Ken walked over to her, patiently showing her how to kick the ball with the side of her foot. "I'll talk to you later, Jun. Bye." 

He quickly dropped the receiver back onto its cradle, and made a beeline for the front door. It somehow bugged him that Ken was the one teaching Catherine. And so help him if _Takeru_ thought he could try, too. Daisuke forced himself to slow down by the time he opened the door, halting his previous thought process. He wasn't the jealous type, after all. Of course, not. 

"Ah! Die-skay!" Catherine waved him over with a smile on her face, as he stepped outside. 

"Come on, Motomiya-kun," Ken grinned. "Girls against guys. Should be an easy win." 

"Hey!" Miyako delivered her best pout. "Don't be mean, Ken-kun." 

"It shouldn't be that easy," Hikari frowned. "After all, my brother taught me everything he knows about soccer." 

"Which'll make it even easier to beat you than if he hadn't," Takeru smirked good humoredly, outright grinning when Daisuke gave him an approving wrap on the shoulder. 

Miyako rolled her eyes. "Boys." She looked over to her best friend, curious. "You going to play, Iori-kun?" 

"It wouldn't be fair," Iori shook his head, silently relieved he would be excluded from the impending Battle of the Sexes. "I'll be the referee." 

"I don't think Iori-kun should be ref," Daisuke argued. "He's biased for Miyako." 

"Well, that's true," Takeru nodded sagely, a hint of a smile on the corners of his lips. 

"He's your Jogress Partner, Takeru-kun," Hikari pointed out, knowing where her best friend's train of thought was going. 

"Yeah," Miyako backed her own Jogress Partner up. "He's biased for you, too." 

"True again," Takeru shrugged, enjoying the friendly banter. 

"I promise I won't be biased for or against anyone," swore Iori, one hand held up. "Okay?" 

"Oh, fine," Daisuke said. He took the ball, placing it in-between the two teams. "The two trees over on that side," he pointed past the girls, "is your goal. The two statues behind us," he jerked his thumb back, "is our goal. Whichever side gets ten points first wins. Got it?" 

"Got it," replied Catherine, as the other girls nodded. 

"This sounds hard," Miyako sighed melodramatically, her eyes big and starry. She turned to Ken, giving him her most pleading expression. "Be gentle with me, Ken-kun!" 

Her act had its desired affect, as Ken blushed crimson, stuttering under his breath. 

"I object!" Daisuke cried, pointing wildly at his best friend. "Ken's biased for Miyako, too!" 

*******

Up on the roof, the digimon watched their partners play below. At Mr. Takaishi's suggestion, they had all had lunch on top of the flat house. There had been a dusty staircase in the attic, and everyone had been pretty hesitant about the idea. They had wondered if the dirty, wooden stairs were any indication for what they'd find up top. However, the entire group had been pleasantly surprised to find the roof not only clean, but decorated with potted plants, and white painted tables and chairs. 

"Well, Grandpa _is_ rather unique," had been Takeru's laughed comment. 

But now the children had finished, and wanted to have a little fun. The digimon, naturally enough, had decided that it just would be _wrong_ to leave any scrap of food untouched, and had happily waved their partners off, as they finished what was left of the lunch. 

"Look at Daisuke go!" V-mon exclaimed around a mouthful of a ham sandwich. 

"He has gotten better," said Wormmon, his front two pincers clamped on an apple. "But he's not as good as Ken-chan!" 

"Sure, he is!" V-mon argued, shaking a fist in the air, and taking another bite out of his sandwich. "Daisuke's the best!" 

"This is hardly fair," Tailmon scowled at the sight of Ken making the third goal for his side. "The boy's side has two people who play soccer all the time. None of the girls play regularly." 

"Too bad," answered V-mon, Wormmon, and Patamon, none of them sounding too pitying. 

Tailmon glared at them all, and Armadimon silently thanked the heavens that his partner was simply the referee, and therefore he himself would be exempt from the Adult digimon's wrath. 

Hawkmon preened a bit, looking critically at the game. "Hikari-san seems to be doing fairly well. Miyako-san, however-" His comment was cut short when his aforementioned partner managed to snag the ball away from Takeru, successfully passing it to her Jogress Partner. "Oh. Well, then," Hawkmon puffed his chest feathers out, proudly. "Miyako-san can hold her own just fine." 

"Lucky steal," Patamon pouted. 

Floramon, meanwhile, stared over the ledge of the roof, trying to figure just what her partner was doing with all the foreign children. Catherine had called it "football," and had given Floramon a basic idea of the game; to get the checkered ball into the other team's goal as much as possible, and stop the opponents from getting the ball into your goal. 

However, the whole process still seemed rather bizarre to Floramon. Getting all sweaty over an inflated piece of rubber. How silly! This football thing was quite popular in the human world, she had realized, but she could never understand why. Still, Catherine _did_ look like she was having fun, even if she didn't seem at all good at it, and her own team looked like it was already down five points ten minutes into the game. 

That foreign boy, Daisuke, seemed to be having fun helping Catherine along, even if they were on different teams. He kept on saying things to her that made her smile and laugh. Then again, Floramon realized, he was speaking Japanese, a language that she didn't understand. So, maybe he was just cracking jokes. Either way, Catherine appeared to enjoy his company. She had for quite a bit of the vacation. Floramon had a feeling her partner would be depressed for a while after the other children left. 

The flower digimon glanced over at V-mon, who was staring intently at the game. She sighed. Maybe she'd be a bit depressed herself. 

*******

"Hmmm," Hikari sighed, folding one of her shirts a bit smaller than usual, before putting it in her suitcase. 

"What's wrong?" Tailmon asked, in the process of collecting what was left of her partner's clothing from a dresser. 

"Nothing, really," said Hikari. "It's just... Well, it's kind of sad, that's all," she admitted. "You know, that we're leaving tomorrow." 

"Why?" Tailmon looked perplexed. "Don't you miss home?" 

"Of course, I do. I've just gotten attached to this place," Hikari explained. "That'll happen for any trip where you're gone for a while. France is strange in some ways, but it's very nice in others. And we did have a really good time." 

"We did have fun," Tailmon nodded, before her whiskers twitched. "Though, you lost that soccer game yesterday." 

Hikari giggled, placing what was left of her belongings in her case. "Well, that was to be expected. They _did_ have the unfair advantage, after all. Next time," she winked, "we'll challenge them to a race. Catherine-chan's pretty fast, and Miyako-san can run well when motivated." 

"You mean when she's being chased," Tailmon clarified, drily. 

"Yes," Hikari sweatdropped. 

The door to the room swung open, Miyako stepping inside and kicking her shoes off lazily. "Hello, Hikari-chan. Tailmon," she greeted. With a little yawn, she walked to the balcony where her partner was perched, napping. She stared at the bird blankly for a moment, before a mischievous grin etched itself onto her face. "Hawkmon!" she exclaimed, chuckling when her partner woke up with a yelp, his feathers sticking out in all directions. 

"Miyako-san!" he yelled, scoldingly. "You shouldn't sneak up on me like that." 

"Sorry, sorry," Miyako smiled brightly, patting him on the head. "It was just too easy to resist. Besides, you have to get up, anyway." 

"Why?" Hawkmon asked, hopping off his perch, and pruning his disheveled feathers. 

"Catherine-chan wants us to meet her in the dining room," Miyako informed him. 

Hikari looked up from her now closed suitcase. "What for?" 

"I'm not sure," her Jogress Partner admitted. "She just asked us all to be there." 

"I guess we shouldn't keep her waiting, then," Hikari shrugged, wondering what was going on. 

The two Chosen and their partners made their way into the hall, both girls pondering what the French girl had planned for their last day. They hadn't made any plans like they usually had. The last day just seemed like the day everyone would spend time to pack their things and get ready for the long flight home. Obviously, Catherine had a surprise waiting for them. 

The boys, Catherine, and the digimon were all in the dining room by the time they arrived. Catherine sat at one of the dining table's chairs, shoulders slightly hunched, as she typed away on a gray laptop in front of her. 

She looked the moment the two girls walked into the room, smiling. "Bonjour!" the blonde greeted, before she went back to her typing. 

Miyako looked curiously at the girl, then turned to Iori. "What's she doing?" 

"We're not sure," Iori admitted. "When we came in, she was already on the laptop. She just told us to wait." 

"What's going on, Cathy?" Daisuke asked, trying to peer over the blonde's shoulder. 

"Arrêtez cela," Catherine ordered, gently pushing Daisuke's head away. "You'll see in a moment." 

The begoggled boy pouted, but Catherine paid no heed. Instead, he and the others simply resorted to waiting patiently, as the French girl tapped the keys, Floramon watching her partner intently. Well, most waited patiently; Daisuke began to pace, as did V-mon right behind him. 

After a few more minutes, Catherine gave the keyboard a couple more pronounced wraps, and pushed her chair back. "Done!" she declared, turning to the group. "I'm very sorry for taking so long. I've never done zis wiz-out Louie's `elp." 

"Louie?" Hikari questioned. 

"Anuzzer Chosen from `ere," Catherine explained. "`E's much better at zis zan me." 

"What were you trying to do?" Miyako asked, hoping she could help. 

Catherine grinned. "I've shown you just about as much of Paris as I could. I tried to zink of all zee places I've loved so much since I was a little girl. But zen," she turned to Floramon, her smile becoming sentimental, "I realized I `aven't taken you to my favorite place in zee `ole world.   
"So, I would like to take you zere now." The blonde stood up, and fished her Digivice out from her skirt pocket. Pointing it to the computer screen, she demanded in a clear voice, "Porte de Digital, ouverte!" 

It was then that the others finally got a good look at the laptop's screen. While all the language was in French, it was still glaringly easy to spot the Digital Gate that was flashing there. The screen brightened to an eye hurting white, and the Chosen and their digimon felt the now expected feeling of nausea and excitement that accompanied being sent to the Digital World through one of its Gates. 

They landed in a heap on the green, speckled grass of the Digital World, the TV on the wayside that had let them in flickering off. The group slowly untangled themselves, taking in the sight before them. It wasn't a part of the Digital World any of the Japanese Chosen had seen before, not even Ken. A huge sea of color was laid out before them; digital flowers of all shapes and sizes scattered about the large field of grass. A soft wind would blow every so often, causing pollen and loose petals to skitter about, as if flying. 

"It's so pretty," Miyako breathed. 

"It really is," Takeru nodded, turning to their hostess. "Where are we?" 

"Zis is zee I/O Field," Catherine explained. "Zis is where zee uzzer French Chosen and I first met our digimon." Beside her, Floramon smiled at the memory. "It's my favorite place to go. It's zee best place to just dream." 

"Just look at all the flowers," Hikari cooed, kneeling in the field to get a better look at the flora. 

"I've never even heard of this place before," Iori admitted, green eyes taking it all in. 

"The Digital World's a lot bigger than you give it credit for," Armadimon told his partner, sneezing as a blade of grass tickled his nose. "It is a whole _world,_ after all." 

A ways off, Ken had settled himself on a rock, enjoying Wormmon's antics in the tall grass, when something bumped into his foot. The indigo haired boy looked down to see a small group of Tanemon among the greenery, one looking a little dazed. 

"Je regrette," it said politely, before bouncing after its leaving group. 

Ken blinked. "French?" 

"Oui," smiled Catherine, sitting down to pick some flowers. "All zee digimon around `ere speak French." 

"I suppose that makes sense," Ken nodded, thoughtfully. "It _is_ kind of arrogant to expect the entire Digital World to only speak Japanese." 

Miyako and Hawkmon walked over to him, peering past at the group of Sorcerermon that stood a bit off, talking animatedly with each other. "Can you understand what they're saying, Ken-kun?" she asked, curious. 

"Somewhat," Ken admitted. "They're speaking a bit too fast for me to get all of it. And besides," he added, with a small smile, "it's impolite to eavesdrop, Miyako-san." 

"I know that!" Miyako defended, blushing. "I just wanted to know how good your French is." 

"Fairly decent," he shrugged, picking up Wormmon, and placing him on his lap. "Not as good as my Spanish, though." 

"Hmm," the heather haired girl tapped her lips in thought. Then, with a grin, she requested, "Say something in French." 

"Huh?" Ken blinked, as well as his partner. 

"Say something in French," Miyako repeated, eagerness in her golden brown eyes. "Please? You've been doing nothing but translating this whole trip. I haven't heard you speak the language once since we got here.   
"Please, Ken-kun?" she pleaded, batting her eyelashes outrageously. "Just one little line?" 

Ken smiled good humoredly at her little show, wondering why Miyako even bothered with her silly acts, when she knew full well that he'd almost always do what she asked of him. She and Daisuke were terribly difficult to say 'no' to. "Okay. Let's see... " He feigned deep thoughtfulness, as Miyako's already overdone pout grew with each passing moment.   
Finally, with his violet eyes a little brighter, and his voice rather shy, Ken said, "Vous êtes une fille très mignonne." 

"That's pretty," Miyako smiled, as Hawkmon nodded. "What does it mean?" 

"Oh... Nothing much," Ken said, looking down at the grass. "Just nonsense, really." 

Wormmon looked skeptically up at his partner, and felt his suspicions double when Ken deliberately avoided eye contact, the boy's face even reddening slightly. The insect digimon met Hawkmon's gaze, and the bird smiled knowingly. Neither digimon knew at all what Ken had said, but they did know that is sure wasn't _'just nonsense.'_

Meanwhile, Daisuke and V-mon sat next to Catherine and Floramon, the two females picking flowers out of the field, and weaving their stems together. Floramon looked up from her work, her aqua eyes observing Daisuke, and how he watched her partner. Then, she turned to V-mon, and giggled when she caught him staring. 

With a final look at her partner and the Japanese boy, Floramon stood up, the nest of strung flowers in one appendage, and used the other to help V-mon to his feet. With a happy smile, the flower digimon chirped, "Allons, Bwee-mon!" And began to drag the confused dragon digimon away. 

Daisuke watched them go with an amused expression, before looking back at Catherine. "Whatcha doing, Cathy?" he pointed at the twined flowers in her hands. 

"I'm making a flower wreaz," she explained, picking another flower, and weaving it into her creation. 

"Really?" Daisuke tilted his head, giving the partly made wreath a scrutinizing look. 

"Well, I'm trying, anyway," Catherine relented, with a laugh. "I'm not nearly as good as Floramon. She's zee one zat taught me `ow to make one. I could never quite get one to look as good as `ers." 

"It looks fine to me," he assured her. 

"Zat's because you `aven't seen a wreaz Floramon `as made," she promised him, winking. "She can make zee prettiest designs. We stay `ere for hours on certain days. It's so lovely," she sighed, picking another blue flower from among the tall grass. "It's peaceful, you know? You understand?" 

Daisuke noticed the faraway look on her face. "This place is really special to you, isn't it?" 

"Oui," Catherine admitted, softly. "Zee uzzer Chosen and I... When we got `ere and met our digimon partners, it was like a dream come true. We `ad zese special creatures wiz zese magical powers. We were chosen to `elp defend zis part of zee Digital World, and our world, as well. It was so unreal. We all felt so... immortal.   
"We never realized `ow real zee battles would become," she said, something dark tinting her tone. "`Ow much fighting zere would be, and `ow much we would `ave to sacrifice in order to do our duty. Some of us pulled away from our friends, uzzers wiz family.   
"Our greatest foe was a Perfect called Asuramon. I'm sure," she laughed, hollowly, "zat facing a Perfect seems razzer dull for you, but our digimon can only reach Adult level." 

"No, that's not true," Daisuke shook his head, vehemently. "Any digimon that's evil is a true, valid threat. And very dangerous, no matter what its level. We've been chased around by enough Adult and even Child digimon to learn that." 

"Hm." Catherine picked a few more flowers, working on her wreath again. "Asuramon was a Wizard type, not a Plant type like most of zee digimon `oo live around `ere. `E `ated all zee wilderness zat in`abits zis part of zee Digital World. Apparently, it wasn't always like zis `ere. It used to be very barren, and filled wiz Wizard types like Asuramon. Zee Plant digimon moved in, and changed zee landscape to suit zemselves. Asuramon `ated zem so much.   
"I can't say I blame `im," Catherine admitted, fingers tightening on the wreath for a moment. "`Is `omeland was changed completely, wiz-out anyone asking zee Wizard types what zey zought. `Owever, destroying zee land, and zee digimon `oo lived `ere wouldn't `elp matters. We tried to reason wiz `im. Marie, our youngest, especially. Nuzzing `elped. We finally defeated `im after combining all our powers.   
"So, I look around zis place," she said, lifting her head, "and I see what we defended. All of us are now trying to bring zee Wizard types zat used to live `ere back. Zis is zeir land, too. Zis field is neutral territory. Everyone gets along `ere. So, I find it very beautiful." 

Daisuke saddened at the serious look on Catherine's face. He hadn't meant for this. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "You're sad." 

"Hm?" Catherine blinked. "Oh, no, no!" she waved a hand, dismissively. "Don't blame yourself, Die-skay! It's my fault for telling you so much. It `appened a year ago, so I really shouldn't get so sentimental about it. Especially in front of a guest," she blushed. "Zat's very rude of me. Je regrette. I'm sorry." 

He watched her, not quite sure of what to do. Daisuke wasn't very good in situations like these; he usually ended up getting frustrated, and yelling at the person to snap out of it. Subtly wasn't one of his qualities. Since Daisuke doubted Catherine would appreciate being yelled at --he knew he wouldn't-- he decided to simply avoid the matter all together. He thought of something neutral to say. Something to make her feel better. "How's the wreath?" 

You could've heard a Gekomon singing off key from ten miles away. 

Catherine blinked owlishly at Daisuke, as if he'd grown an extra head. Daisuke himself felt like he'd shrunk to about two inches tall. _'How's the wreath?'_ She had just told him something incredibly personal, and _that_ was the best he could come up with? This was obviously _not_ the response Catherine had been expecting. There were no words that could properly describe just how idiotic the Japanese boy felt at the moment. Daisuke idly wondered if there was space underneath the rock Ken was sitting on for him to crawl into. 

The blonde placed a hand over her mouth, and her shoulders began to shake. Strange, choked gasps past her lips, and she shut her blue eyes tightly. Daisuke felt his stomach plummet. He'd made her cry with his stupidity. Her gasps became louder, and she tilted her head forward, blonde curls blocking her face from his view. 

"I'm sorry," Daisuke apologized again, feeling even worse than before. "I didn't mean to make you cry." 

She abruptly lifted her head, one blue eye opening just slightly. "C-crying? You zink... I-I'm crying?" 

Daisuke cocked his head to the side. "You're not?" 

Catherine shook her head, golden ringlets flying. "No, silly! I'm laughing!" she corrected him, smiling brightly, her shoulders still shaking. 

He stared, dumbly. "Really?" 

"Of course," she answered, her gasping now becoming loud enough to sound like giggling. "You say zee silliest zings, Die-skay!" Catherine continued to giggle, as she hooked both ends of her flower train into a decent, if a little haphazard, wreath.   
She held it up for their inspection. "It looks a little small for a necklace, but," she jovially placed it on Daisuke's head, "it makes a fine headband, oui?" 

Daisuke felt his ears burn. A few low leaves were partially blocking his right eye, but by the expression on Catherine's face, he must've been a sight to see. A pink petal floated down from off the wreath, gliding gracefully back and forth, until landing in his lap, and thus finalizing the humiliation. 

"I don't think it's quite me," he said, drily. Taking it off, he settled it on Catherine's head, where it slid so it was just above her eyes. "Looks better on you," Daisuke grinned, as the French girl stuck her tongue out. 

"But, of course, it does!" she said, haughtily, adjusting her flowery headpiece so that it wasn't obstructing her eyesight. Melodramatically, she declared, "_Everyzing_ looks good on me!" 

"Yes, it does," Daisuke agreed, only half joking. 

"Oh, Die-skay," Catherine wagged a finger. "Are you flirting wiz me?" 

"Flirting?" he repeated, looking honestly clueless. "You think I am?" 

She stared at her, perplexed. "You mean you aren't?" She shrugged a shoulder, a light laugh passing her lips. "I see! You are a natural charmer, zen! You are very funny, Die-skay. I like being wiz you." 

Daisuke propped his hands behind him, so he could lean back. He grinned, almost sheepishly at his companion. "Me, too." 

*******

At a French airport gate the next day, a group of children with strange, moving 'stuffed animals,' waited for their flight to be ready. They were accompanied by a blonde girl and her Floramon, and a grown man in his early fifties. To a casual observer, they were tourists on their way home. To those with the proper knowledge, however, they were a few of the Chosen who saved the world only a few months back. 

Hikari was making the most out of the last few minutes she'd be in France, firing off her camera at a rapid pace, until the whole group thought they'd see white spots for a week. Tailmon finally commandeered the camera. Iori patted Upamon, who lay in his arms, and silently hoped his mother would like the pewter mini Eiffel Tower he had bought her. Miyako, Poromon nestled inside the carry-on pack beside her, modeled the navy blue beret she had bought, for Ken's amusement. Minomon sat comfortably in his partner's arms, while the indigo haired boy complimented the girl's new accessory. Takeru meanwhile, was being nearly hugged to death by his grandfather, after the boy was finally cohersed into singing "Frère Jacques." Patamon smartly stayed out of the old man's way. 

"Are you ready to go?" Catherine asked, adjusting the brown bag she was holding. 

"Pretty much," Daisuke nodded, jarring Chibimon, who was sitting atop his partner's head. "A bit tired, so that might be a problem." 

"Why?" she frowned, not following. 

"Have you ever tried to sleep on a plane before?" he questioned, annoyance clear on his face. "It's impossible!" 

Catherine laughed. "I always sleep on zem just fine! `Owever, if you really are `aving problems," she reached inside her bag, pulling out a thick book, and handing it to him, "you can start reading zis." 

Daisuke glanced at the obviously Japanese cover, one brow raised. "_'Japanese to French Dictionary?'_" 

"Of course!" she smiled, shaking her index finger at him. "I expect you to learn some of my language. It can't be `arder zan yours. Zat just... would be impossible," she stuck her tongue out in mild distaste. 

"Are you implying Japanese is confusing?" he asked, frowning. 

"Don't need to imply it," she shot back, shrugging. Then, she winked at him. "Besides, it would be easier to talk wiz you if you know some of my language, too." 

"Talk?" Daisuke parrotted. 

"Oui!" Catherine reached over, opened up the front flap of the book, and pointed to some fancy script that she had obviously written herself. "Zat's my e-mail address, and my phone number. I fully expect you to keep in touch. If you do not," she sniffed, melodramatically, "you will make me very sad, Die-skay!" 

His lips turned up in a small grin. "Wouldn't want that." 

The louder speakers crackled to life, causing everyone to flinch. A female announcer started speaking dully in French, before repeating what she had said just as dully in Japanese. "Tokyo Airways, Flight 27 now boarding at Gate 9." 

"That's us," said Takeru, opening his duffel bag, so Patamon could hide in it. 

"Ah, au revoir, Takeru!" Mr. Takaishi once again embraced his grandson, practically suffocating the boy. "I will miss you, and your singing. Next time, bring Yamato." 

"Uh, I'll miss you, too, Grandpa," Takeru pulled away, sweatdropping. 

"Au revoir, Tahkeh-roo," Catherine gave the taller blonde a hug. 

Takeru seemed a bit warmer to this goodbye, hugging the girl back with a blush. "Goodbye, Catherine." 

Catherine and Mr. Takaishi repeated their goodbyes to Ken, Iori, Hikari, and Miyako. Like he did when he first said hello to them all, Mr. Takaishi seemed to spend a couple extra seconds wishing fairwell to Hikari and Miyako than he did the others, once again making the two girls blush. 

"Au revoir, Daisuke," Mr. Takaishi gave the boy a solid pat on the back, and a conspiratory wink. "Keep my grandson on `is toes, okay?" 

Daisuke grinned. "Will do, sir." 

"Die-skay," Catherine took Mr. Takaishi's place in front of the Chosen boy. She smiled pleasantly, hands clasped in front of her. "Au revoir. `Ave a good trip `ome. And don't you forget to e-mail me!" she demanded, eyes brightening. 

"I won't," he swore, his grin widening. 

"Good. Zen, promise me one more zing." She leaned forward, and placing a quick kiss on his cheak, whispered for his ears alone, "Next time _I_ will come to visit, and _you_ can kiss _me_ bonjour." 

Daisuke blushed, too many words coming to mind for him to do anything more than stutter incoherently. 

Catherine pulled away, giggling. "Zat's okay. I'll take zat as a _oui._" 

Chuckling, Mr. Takaishi began to herd everyone forward. "Come on, now. You'll miss your flight, and your parents will be very upset wiz me." 

As the Japanese children made their way to their plane, Catherine, Floramon, and Mr. Takaishi waved their final goodbyes. 

"Au revoir, everyone!" Catherine called. "We'll miss you!" 

"Au revoir, Bwee-mon!" Floramon cried, tears in her big eyes. "Chibeemon!" 

In a span of fifteen minutes, the Chosen had gotten into their seats, Tailmon had made her standard disappearence, and the other Baby digimon and Patamon had settled in. When the plane took off, Daisuke was staring out the window, Chibimon at his feet, munching on one of the muffins that were in Daisuke's carry-on. 

The begoggled boy frowned at the odd pain already forming in his chest. He was already missing France. He was already missing her. It was the same feeling he had for his family when he had left for the trip, only more intense. Daisuke assumed that it was because, unlike his family, he had no idea when the next time he'd see Catherine would be. Though, he decided he would see her again. Maybe Catherine had the right idea; next time, she'd visit him, instead. 

Daisuke looked down at his feasting digimon, leaned over and picked up his book that was lying next to the small blue creature. He opened the flap, dark eyes resting on the looping script that had been recently placed there by a pen. With a small smile, he flipped through the pages, scanning for a familiar word in his language. When he got to the section it should've been, Daisuke was disappointed that it was missing from the book. Scowling, he wondered why such a ridiculously thick dictionary would have such a common Japanese word omitted. 

So, Daisuke turned beside him to Ken, who was talking to Miyako. "Hey, Ichijouji-kun?" 

Ken looked to his best friend. "Hm?" 

Daisuke scratched his head, sheepishly. "How do you say 'pretty girl,' in French?" 

The indigo haired boy blinked. "...'Jolie fille.' Why?" 

With a dismissive shrug, Daisuke turned back to the window. "No reason." 

The begoggled boy continued to watch, as the ground became farther away, buildings beginning to look like nothing more than toy houses, and cars like ants. And he wondered if there was a blonde girl still in the airport, watching his plane ascend into the clouds. Daisuke felt a smile tug at his lips. He'd probably get no sleep on this flight, either. But, perhaps for different reasons. 

"Au revoir, jolie fille." 

**End**


	6. Notes

_Disclaimer:_ I own nothing. Not _Digimon_, or any of the characters that show entails. This is purely for fun, and I am making no profit. If I was making a profit... Oh, if I were making a profit... _*snif*_ I wish I was making a profit... 

_Author's Notes:_ So, you'd like to know what all the incoherent French was, do ya? Okay, you asked for it. 

*******   
**Bonjour**   
*******

**Kat-chan's Cruddy, Messed Up French to English Dictionary**

**Chapter 1**   
Mademoiselles - Young ladies (Misses)   
Bonjour - Hello 

**Chapter 2**   
C'est qui, cette type? - Who is this guy?   
Enchanté de faire la connaissance de vous. - Enchanted to meet you. (very formal)   
Quoi? - What?   
Oui - Yes   
Mignon, mignon! - Cute, cute!   
Il est mignon. - He's cute.   
Son partenaire n'est pas mauvais aussi, non plus. - His partner's not bad, either. 

**Chapter 3**   
Merci - Thanks   
Vous voulez voir votre partenaire? - You want to see your partner?   
Je veux voir (name)! - I want to see (name)!   
Floramon, pourquoi êtes-vous ici? - Floramon, what are you doing here?   
Je regrette, Catherine! - I'm sorry, Catherine!   
Belle chanson. - Beautiful song.   
Garçon mignon! - Cute boy!   
Il sera un homme bel! - He'll be a handsome man!   
Um... Excusez-moi. Est ce keh jeh puis... uh, voo aider? - Hikari desperately trying to say, "Excuse me. How may I help you?"   
C'est horrible français. - That's horrible French.   
Japonais - Japanese   
Il ne comprend pas. - He doesn't understand.   
Est-ce que je puis vous embrasser? - Can I kiss you?   
Fantastique! - Fantastic! 

**Chapter 4**   
Trois! Deux! Un! - Three! Two! One!   
La tour d'Eiffel la nuit est pour des amoureux. - The Eiffel Tower at night is for lovers. (Mr. Takaishi's slick, eh?) 

**Chapter 5**   
Arrêtez cela. - Stop that.   
Porte de Digital, ouverte! - Digital Gate, open!   
Vous êtes une fille très mignonne. - You're a very cute girl. (Ken's slick, too)   
Allons, Bwee-mon! - Let's go, V-mon!   
Frère Jacques - Brother Jacques (or John, if you go by the English translation). It's a French children's song. I knew it growing up. There is a translation, but it's normally sung in its native French. At least, that's how I always sang it.   
Au revoir - Goodbye 

Goodbye now! 


End file.
